WASHINGTON, USA – US President Donald Trump has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting” and agree to a peace deal to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Trump, speaking to the media on Sunday, April 27, 2025, before boarding Air Force One, said he wanted Putin to sit down and “sign a deal,” referring to a potential peace agreement that the US has proposed.
The US leader, who has previously claimed he could end the war within one day if given the opportunity, reiterated his call for peace after his brief face-to-face meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican.
“Well, I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” Trump said, emphasizing the need for diplomatic resolution to the conflict, which has raged for over three years.
Trump added that he believed a peace deal was within reach, but stressed that it was up to Putin to agree to the terms.
During his conversation with Zelensky in St Peter’s Basilica, Trump raised doubts about whether Putin was genuinely interested in ending the war, which has caused widespread devastation in eastern Ukraine and led to tens of thousands of deaths.
“I think he [Zelensky] is ready to give up Crimea,” Trump also remarked, indicating that he believed Ukraine’s president might be willing to concede the Black Sea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, in exchange for peace.
This statement comes as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, with the conflict having expanded in scope and intensity since the full-scale attack in February 2022.
Despite Russia’s claims of annexing several territories, it has yet to gain full military control over the regions.
