The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Sunday in Rome with the American vice-president JD Vance, evoking together the expected call Monday between Donald Trump and Vladimir Poutineafter unsuccessful talks between kyiv and Moscow in Türkiye.
On the battlefield, Russia continues, as almost every day since The start of his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022to attack his neighbor, having launched in the night a “record” number of more than 270 explosive drones, according to kyiv.
“The pressure on Russia must continue until it is ready to end the war”
In Rome, Volodymyr Zelensky and JD Vance attended the inaugural mass of the new Pope in the morning, the American Leon XIV, before finding himself, with the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for an exchange of “about half an hour”, according to a senior Ukrainian official.
Good meeting with @VP J. D. Vance and Secretary of State @Secrubio in Rome.
During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers. I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and… pic.twitter.com/ko2cKKYvCZ
– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@zelenskyyua) May 18, 2025
The two men, according to this source, spoke of a “ceasefire”, “the possibility” of new sanctions against Moscow, but especially “preparations” before the call “Monday” between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Donald Trump announced on Saturday, he said that he would talk to his Russian counterpart on Monday to “put an end to bain de sang ». The Kremlin then confirmed the “preparation” this call.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff estimated on ABC on Sunday that he expected a “fruitful” conversation between the two leaders.
“The president is determined to obtain results” on Ukraine, he added, before warning: “If he does not succeed, then no one can”.
“The pressure on Russia must continue until it is ready to end the war,” said Volodymyr Zelensky on social networks, evoking his “good” meeting with JD Vance and Marco Rubio.
A “crucial” week
For his part, Vladimir Putin hammered Sunday that she wanted to “eliminate the causes” of the conflict and “guarantee the security of the Russian state”.
Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump, who has planned to debrief the Ukrainian president after the call with Vladimir Putin, calls Moscow and kyiv to stop fighting.
However, at this stage, his efforts did not allow major advance in the settlement of the conflict, triggered by the Russian invasion which has made, in more than three years, tens of thousands of deaths, civilians and military combined.
On Friday, Russians and Ukrainians had found themselves for the first time since the spring of 2022 for direct peace talks, under Turkish mediation, in Istanbul.
The Kremlin maintains maximalist claims
But the meeting, which lasted less than two hours, did not lead to a truce, as claimed by kyiv and his allies-a exchange of prisoners was agreed-, highlighting the chasm that separates the positions of Moscow and kyiv.
The Kremlin maintains maximalist claims: that Ukraine renounces to join NATO, abandons four of its regions partially controlled by Russia, in addition to the Crimea annexed in 2014, and which the Western arms deliveries cease. Ukraine firmly rejects these requirements and requests that the Russian army, which still occupies almost 20% of its territory, withdraws from it. What Moscow does not have the intention.
To avoid a new Russian invasion in the future, kyiv also says require solid “security guarantees”.
In this context, the coming week will be “crucial,” said Rome the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, before a meeting with JD Vance and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
During the night of Saturday to Sunday, the Russian army launched 273 explosive drones against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, “a record”, according to Deputy Prime Minister Ioulia Svyrydenko.
A woman was killed near kyiv and three other people injured were hospitalized, including a four -year -old child, according to regional authorities.
“The objective of Russia is clear: to continue to massacre civilians,” said Svyrydenko, while the head of the presidential administration, Andriï Iermak, cracked: “For Russia, Istanbul negotiations are only a blanket, Putin wants war”.
To the advantage on the front in front of less numerous Ukrainian troops, the Russian army claimed on Sunday taking a new locality, Bagyr, in the Donetsk region.
Finally, Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged the Vatican with the new Pope Léon XIV, which he described as a “symbol of hope for peace”, after the sovereign pontiff mentioned Place Saint-Pierre “Martyred Ukraine”.
