Trump Suggests Putin Has to Be ‘Dealt with Differently’ After 1:1 Meeting With Zelensky at Pope’s Funeral

President Donald Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has to be dealt with differently,” after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican during the Pope’s funeral amid escalating violence in Ukraine.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died aged 88 on April 21. His funeral was held at the Vatican on Saturday. In addition to Trump and Zelensky, world figures including Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron and former President Joe Biden joined the more than 40,000 attendees in St. Peter’s Square.

While in the Vatican, Trump and Zelensky were captured facing one another for a conversation—their first one-on-one since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February in which Zelensky was berated for “disrespect” as the Ukrainian president cautioned skepticism toward Putin’s interest in peace.

In a post on Truth Social hours later, Trump criticized The New York Times and its reporter Peter Baker for what he called biased coverage of his Ukraine-Russia efforts, calling the ongoing war was a “loser from day one,” and blaming former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden for the crisis.

“With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas… over the last few days,” Trump wrote.

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?'” he continued, adding, “Too many people are dying!!!”

Trump has sought to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, touting his ability to end the war swiftly upon re-election. His tone toward Ukraine has contrasted with previous administrations, with Trump accusing Zelensky of starting the war and criticizing his leadership.

With Russia continuing its offensive against Ukraine amidst White House efforts to move toward a ceasefire, Trump’s remarks indicate his confidence in Putin may be eroding.