Logovideo to article
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We're learning that President Tr

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and Ukrainian President Zelensky

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had a meeting before the funeral

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this morning.

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We have some brand new photos

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from that encounter

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showing them to you on the left

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hand side of your screen.

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They are really startling images

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The White House

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describes the meeting as, quote,

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a very productive discussion.

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We don't know many details about

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what the tone and tenor of it wa

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And other photo

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shows Trump and Zelensky

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speaking with France's

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President Emmanuel Macron,

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as well as the British prime min

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Keir Starmer.

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Zelensky had previously expresse

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he would be willing to meet

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with President Trump

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when both leaders would be in It

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However, President Trump

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would not share with reporters

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if they planned to do so.

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This morning's meeting is the fi

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the two leaders have come face t

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since that

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February Oval Office meeting,

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where Trump

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berated Zelensky

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for not demonstrating

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enough gratitude for American su

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in their Ukraine war.

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But clearly,

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I mean, these images are extraor

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Sitting

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on these chairs in the basilica

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and what a

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what a fitting tribute

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to the legacy of Pope Francis,

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who was so passionate

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about peace, about ending confli

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given the fractious nature

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of the relationship

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between President Trump

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and President Zelensky

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over the course of the last few

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to see them sitting there togeth

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Kevin Liptak to you,

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we knew that there was this oppo

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for conversations

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on the sidelines

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between President Trump

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and President Zelensky.

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What do we know about this meeti

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Well, the White House is calling

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very productive.

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It lasted about 15 minutes,

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and it was quite

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a remarkable scene there.

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You see, the two men

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sort of perched on their chairs

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inside Saint Peter's Basilica, a

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quite deep in conversation.

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You know,

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these are two men

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who have made no secret their di

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even their dislike of each other

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You know, President

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Trump just said

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within the past week

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that he was not a fan.

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His quote of President Zelensky

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in this meeting

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comes 57 days after that

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explosive Oval Office meeting

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that resulted essentially

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in Trump

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evicting Zelensky

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and his delegation from the whit

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This meeting did

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not appear quite as contentious,

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but it certainly did come

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at quite a critical moment

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as President

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Trump grows more and more frustr

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that he is unable

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to bring the conflict between Ru

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and Ukraine to an end,

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the United States has proposed

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a peace plan

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that would essentially,

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give Russia

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some of the territory

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that it has gained during this w

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and also include American recogn

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of the Crimean Peninsula,

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which Russia illegally annexed i

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Zelensky has said that

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that's not something he can sign

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and that is

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part of

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what has led

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to this great amount of contenti

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between the two men.

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And so certainly as they sat the

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Saint Peter's Basilica,

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this is something

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that they will have wanted to di

02:51 - 02:53

Now, both sides are sort of keep

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the precise details

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of this meeting under wraps.

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But we did hear from Zelensky

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as he was departing.

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Listen to how he framed this mee

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Now Trump is now flying back fro

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here to New Jersey, where I am

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as he's flying back.

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He did post something

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very interesting on TruthSocial

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when it comes to the Russia conf

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He says that there was no reason

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And you'll remember,

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Russia bombarded Kyiv,

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just last week,

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its worst attack in nine months,

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Trump says.

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It makes me think that maybe

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he doesn't want to stop the war.

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He's just tapping me along

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and it has to be dealt

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with differently through banking

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or secondary sanctions.

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So quite a shift in tone

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from the president there.

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You know,

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I asked him on Thursday

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whether he still believes

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that Putin wanted peace.

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He said that

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he believed

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both sides were interested in pe

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But now the President,

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after his meeting with Zelensky,

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taking a somewhat

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different view , Victor.

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Keir Starmer, who we saw there.

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The Prime

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Minister of the UK has long been

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that, Putin has been dragging th

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Kevin Liptak for us,

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there traveling with the preside

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Thank you.

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With me now from Rome to discuss

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today's gathering,

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CNN political and national secur

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analyst David Sanger.

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David, hello to you.

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And I want to start here

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with this conversation

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between the two men, because, of

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President Trump went as one of t

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the duties of the office of pres

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But the opportunity for progress

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not just the talks, with Russia

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and Ukraine,

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but also probably tariffs

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and other leaders as well.

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What do you make of the decision

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and this remarkable photo

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that I'm sure

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we're going to be looking after,

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of the two sitting down in the B

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and taking these few minutes to

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Well, it was remarkable.

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first for the place.

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I mean, Saint

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Paul's Basilica is not usually,

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the, the place

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for diplomatic negotiations, tho

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perhaps this pope, given his int

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in the Ukraine war,

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would have applauded

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that the second,

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thing that was remarkable about

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it is the intensity

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of their conversation,

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especially given,

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as you said before, Victor,

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the what a disaster.

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The last one was,

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which basically ended with Mr.

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Zelensky being escorted

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from the White House

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without the lunch

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they were going to do without si

05:42 - 05:43

the minerals,

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and investment agreement

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that they were going to sign tha

05:47 - 05:48

And the relationship

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since has improved

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slightly, but not much.

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What was at issue here, we belie

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although we haven't gotten

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many readouts on that.

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The the discussion a little more

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Zelensky

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than we've gotten from the White

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is that there are two competing

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now about how,

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to approach the end of the war

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won by the United States,

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which was pretty generous to

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the Russians, would acknowledge,

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they've taken and so forth,

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and would have the U.S.

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recognizing Crimea as part of of

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and won by the Ukrainians.

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That would be quite different

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and would include Russian

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reparations to Ukraine.

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I wonder what you make of

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the applause

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that we heard there

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at Saint Peter's Square

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when the crowd assembled,

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saw President Zelensky, there.

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And I was watching that

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live as it happened.

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We didn't hear the applause

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for other world leaders.

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We didn't hear it for

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for President Trump.

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But of course, we

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you know, they are in Europe.

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But hearing that applause for Ze

06:54 - 06:54

Yeah.

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You know, it's a reminder

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that this is the kind of applaus

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Zelensky used to get in Washingt

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Remember when he came

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for the first time,

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addressed a joint session of Con

07:05 - 07:06

The Republicans

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and the Democrats applauded him

07:08 - 07:09

and talked about him

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as sort of a Churchill in a in a

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He still has that image here.

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and even though Prime Minister

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Meloni of Italy is,

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in agreement on many issues with

07:21 - 07:23

President Trump,

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she is a big supporter of Ukrain

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and providing continued aid to t

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so it just underscored the diffe

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between the

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Trump administration and the Eur

07:37 - 07:38

about how to go forward with thi

07:38 - 07:39

with the Europeans

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saying, basically,

07:41 - 07:43

Russia should not be rewarded

07:43 - 07:46

for invading another country

07:46 - 07:48

and President Trump approaching

07:48 - 07:50

as if it's a question,

07:50 - 07:51

a real estate division here.

07:51 - 07:53

Now, and in fact,

07:53 - 07:54

not even acknowledging

07:54 - 07:57

that Russia was responsible for,

07:57 - 07:59

the invasion itself.

07:59 - 07:59

Yeah.

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And his,

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patience at least,

08:02 - 08:04

seems to be running low.

08:04 - 08:07

David, one more here on the Pope

08:08 - 08:09

you know, there are few

08:09 - 08:11

events, like a papal funeral

08:11 - 08:12

that bring together

08:12 - 08:15

monarchs and heads of state and,

08:15 - 08:16

you know, the leaders,

08:16 - 08:19

the political leaders that we've

08:20 - 08:22

he is not just a religious figur

08:22 - 08:24

but also, in many ways,

08:24 - 08:26

a political figure.

08:26 - 08:28

What's the influence of a pope,

08:28 - 08:31

especially this one?

08:31 - 08:32

Well, popes

08:32 - 08:34

have always been political figur

08:34 - 08:37

you know, back, many, many a cen

08:37 - 08:40

And, you know, we, we forget tha

08:40 - 08:42

But he was not only a unifying o

08:42 - 08:44

but a pope,

08:44 - 08:47

but had a deep sense of values

08:47 - 08:49

about how one treats the poor,

08:49 - 08:51

how one treats the homeless.

08:51 - 08:54

you've been a having testaments

08:54 - 08:57

And you heard them in that, in t

08:57 - 09:00

in the funeral service, all morn

09:01 - 09:02

it's interesting

09:02 - 09:03

at this particular moment

09:03 - 09:05

in American history

09:05 - 09:08

where, the government seems to h

09:09 - 09:11

turned on many of those values.

09:11 - 09:12

Not all of them,

09:12 - 09:14

but some of them or said

09:14 - 09:15

it is not up for the government

09:15 - 09:17

to be paying for this

09:17 - 09:19

or solving this problem.

09:19 - 09:22

And, so it's really

09:22 - 09:25

a moment of contrast, out there.

09:26 - 09:29

and I think one of the, one of t

09:29 - 09:30

big moments here is that

09:30 - 09:31

because it has brought

09:31 - 09:33

so many leaders together,

09:33 - 09:35

it was really an opportunity

09:35 - 09:37

for President Trump

09:37 - 09:39

to go do some diplomacy on the s

09:39 - 09:42

Once the once the ceremony was o

09:42 - 09:44

as he himself noted, it wouldn't

09:45 - 09:46

wouldn't be seemly to

09:46 - 09:49

be doing it during this. But,

09:49 - 09:50

he left right away.

09:50 - 09:50

Yeah,

09:50 - 09:51

he just headed

09:51 - 09:53

right back to his airplane.

09:53 - 09:53

yeah.

09:53 - 09:57

The Pope, spoke often about, mig

09:57 - 09:58

and that, of course, during

09:58 - 09:59

the 2016

09:59 - 10:01

campaign was one of the sticking

10:01 - 10:02

points between,

10:02 - 10:05

Pope Francis and then-candidate

10:05 - 10:06

David Sanger of the New York Tim

10:06 - 10:08

Always good to have you. Thank y

Tensions Abridged: A Historic Meeting between Trump and Zelensky

In a surprising turn of events, President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky held a brief but impactful meeting at Saint Peter's Basilica. This meeting, characterized by its tense history and recent geopolitical stakes, aimed to address the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both leaders, who have publicly clashed in the past, found common ground amidst the backdrop of a poignant event. Their 15-minute discussion may signal a shift in diplomatic strategy as geopolitical tensions rise.

In this article, we will delve into the significance of this meeting, the historical context, and what it could mean for future relations between the U.S. and Ukraine.

A Tense Historical Backdrop

The Ill-Fated Oval Office Meeting

The recent meeting between Trump and Zelensky comes nearly two months after a drastically different encounter in the Oval Office. During that February meeting, tensions exploded when Trump openly criticized Zelensky for not being grateful for U.S. support in Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia. This may have created a chilling effect, leading many to wonder whether a future dialogue was even possible.

Saint Peter's Basilica: A Unique Setting

Now, we find both leaders seated in Saint Peter's Basilica—a setting more traditionally reserved for solemnity than political debate. The remarkable photos of them engaged in deep conversation are visually and symbolically striking, particularly within the context of Pope Francis's legacy, which emphasizes peace and diplomacy.

The Meeting's Dynamics

A Productive Discussion

According to the White House, the meeting lasted approximately 15 minutes and was described as "very productive." While specifics are limited, it suggests that despite past grievances, both leaders were willing to engage constructively this time.

Discrepancies in Diplomatic Approaches

However, differences in their perspectives persisted. Trump's recent commentary indicated skepticism about Zelensky's commitment to peace, citing the recent increase in Russian aggression. Meanwhile, Zelensky remains steadfast in refusing conditions that would reward Russia's territorial gains from the conflict.

Implications for Future Relations

The Fragile State of U.S.-Ukraine Relations

The dialogue at Saint Peter's Basilica paints a complex picture. While there are positive signs indicating a willingness to engage, the undercurrents of distrust and disagreement showcase the challenges ahead. The voices of other world leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are also essential in shaping public sentiment and international responses.

Adjusting Diplomatic Strategy

As Trump returns to New Jersey post-meeting, we recognize that the engagement's outcome may influence forthcoming U.S. strategies in the ongoing conflict. The diverging perspectives on how to handle the situation in Ukraine will certainly play a critical role in shaping both sovereign and international policies moving forward.

The Influence of Papal Leadership

The Political Role of the Pope

One cannot overlook the broader implications brought on by this meeting occurring during significant papal events. Historically, popes have served not only as spiritual leaders but also as influential political figures, advocating for peace and humanitarian efforts. The presence of Pope Francis at this gathering of leaders underscores the urgent need for dialogue in conflict resolution.

Bridging Divides through Diplomacy

In a time defined by political divisiveness and international discord, moments like these invite hope. The juxtaposition of Trump's and Zelensky's conversations—set against the values embraced by the Pope—offers a reminder of the potential for diplomacy to bridge chasms that many believe are insurmountable.

In conclusion, the meeting between Trump and Zelensky at Saint Peter's Basilica illustrates that even deeply strained relationships can find paths to dialogue, albeit fraught with challenges and complexities. As tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, the world eagerly watches to see whether this moment will lead to a meaningful shift in diplomacy. The echoes of historical diplomacy remind us that each interaction can be a step towards peace, even under the solemn gaze of history's greatest leaders. This moment serves not just as a gesture of goodwill but as a potential turning point in promoting peace in the region.