Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned down a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to hold the next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican, despite support for the idea from Pope Leo XIV earlier this month.
Special Envoy Keith Kellogg confirmed the development on Tuesday, indicating that Moscow opposed the Vatican as a location. “The Russians didn’t want to go there,” Kellogg said, suggesting Geneva as a possible alternative. The timeline for future negotiations remains uncertain, with Russia’s foreign ministry stating that it is still drafting its memorandum of terms.
President Trump, returning to the White House from a weekend in New Jersey, took to social media on Tuesday to warn Putin, writing, “He’s playing with fire,” and asserting that Russia would be facing far worse consequences if not for his previous interventions. Trump claimed, “If it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also lashed out at Moscow, accusing it of “playing games” after a devastating aerial assault over the weekend. Russia launched 335 drones and nine cruise missiles targeting civilian areas, marking the largest drone strike in the three-year conflict.
Reacting to the strike, Trump described Putin as “crazy” and said, “Something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” He criticized the attacks as senseless violence, saying, “Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”
In response, the Kremlin pushed back against Trump’s remarks, accusing the U.S. president of being overly emotional. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed gratitude for American involvement in the negotiation process but noted, “This is a very crucial moment… with emotional overload and emotional reactions.”
Despite his criticisms of Putin, Trump also took aim at Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, accusing him of exacerbating tensions. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump said, without clarifying which of Zelenskyy’s statements he found objectionable.
Meanwhile, just hours after the Russian aerial assault, Russia and Ukraine carried out a large prisoner exchange, with hundreds of captives returned to their respective sides. The exchange took place in Ukraine’s Chernyhiv region, where families gathered to identify loved ones.
As efforts to resume peace talks continue, the geopolitical rhetoric on all sides appears to be escalating, raising questions about the prospects for diplomacy amid ongoing violence.
