Italian media are calling the meeting between the American and Ukrainian presidents—who came to the Vatican to bid farewell to the Roman Pontiff—a genuine miracle of Pope Francis. The atmosphere of the brief encounter between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky differed markedly from the scandal we all witnessed in the Oval Office, which will likely go down as one of the biggest incidents in White House memory.
Both Trump and Zelensky spoke favorably about the meeting. The Ukrainian president even said it might prove historic. Yet our own assessment will depend on how events unfold over the coming weeks—on whether the U.S. administration can return to realism after hoping Trump would surely manage to strike a deal with Putin—if not for a just peace, then at least for a cease-fire on the Russian-Ukrainian front.
Reality has proved far less encouraging for the American president. Since his first phone conversation with Putin, the intensity of Russian strikes on residential neighborhoods in Ukrainian cities has risen sharply, and civilian casualties have mounted. This is no accident; it is Putin’s deliberate design, aimed at making the American president complicit in his crimes.
We have once again seen how divergent the two leaders’ concepts of a settlement are. Donald Trump wants to halt the shelling first and only then discuss peace terms, whereas Putin insists on negotiating while the war rages—even escalating it. He sees Trump not as a partner in peacemaking but as an ally who might help him finish off Ukraine.
Yet this role does not suit the American president, who has begun openly condemning Putin’s strikes and realizing that the Russian leader seeks to deceive him, not make peace. The fact that Trump reached this conclusion after four meetings between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin gives hope that realism will start guiding the new U.S. administration’s policy.
With realism, hopes have faded that concessions could be wrung from Putin through compromise and acceptance of his terms.
During Trump’s first 100 days in office, Putin lavished warm words on his American counterpart and even had a court painter create a portrait of Trump, which he presented to Witkoff. In their talks—flanked by his “fixer,” Kirill Dmitriev, who knows the psychology of American businessmen—Putin painted for Witkoff and Trump a “picture” of enticing economic opportunities.
But what lies behind these words and promises? Obviously shelling in Ukraine and the deaths of Ukrainians.
Thus, in his first 100 days as U.S. president, Donald Trump has not come any closer to ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. What has happened is a worsening of U.S. relations with European allies and Putin’s search for new ways to split the West, making Western nations easy prey for Russia and China. The war in Ukraine is merely a tool for strengthening authoritarian regimes worldwide.
We can only hope that after 100 days of illusions and errors, the next 100 days will see the U.S. administration return to professionalism and realism, gain a clearer grasp of world events, and distinguish friend from foe.
The Trump-Zelensky meeting in the Vatican could become one of the first indicators of the United States’ recovery from the “childhood disease” of quick victories. That, indeed, might be the miracle of Pope Francis.
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