Former national security adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned that it provided him “the first sense of hope that I’ve experienced in a long time.”
“You witnessed the interaction between President Trump and President Zelensky. A notably public moment, but what does that indicate to you?” Martha Raddatz from ABC News queried Sullivan “this week.”
“Well, it gives me my initial spark of hope in quite some time, as President Trump has relayed a Crimean awareness to President Vladimir Putin.”
“Even China does not recognize Crimea as a part of Russia. President Trump conveys to the Russians that he will. He has assured Putin that Ukraine will not join NATO and has guaranteed that Putin can keep all territories he has unlawfully seized through invasion,” he elaborated.
Since President Trump assumed office a few months ago, his administration has sought to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, engaging with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump and Zelensky convened in Rome on Saturday ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis, who died the previous week.
“Productive meeting. We covered a lot in one,” Zelensky posted on Social Platform X on Saturday. “We anticipate the outcomes we’ve discussed.”
“We will safeguard the lives of our citizens. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A dependable and enduring peace is a peace that prevents further wars from breaking out. A highly symbolic meeting that could become historic if collaborative results are attained,” he added. “Thanks to @Potus.”
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the “only resolution” to the conflict in Ukraine involves negotiations where both Russia and Ukraine “relinquish something.”
“There is no military resolution to this conflict,” Rubio informed NBC News’ Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.” “The sole resolution to this war would be a negotiated agreement where both sides must concede what they assert they desire, and they would need to provide the other side with what they do not want.”
“That’s how you conclude the war, and that’s what we’re striving to accomplish here so that fewer people lose their lives,” he concluded.
Oka contacted the White House for remarks.
