Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting” and sign a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Morristown Airport before boarding Air Force One back to Washington, Trump said, “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal.” His comments came a day after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Trump, who had previously boasted that he could end the conflict within a day of taking office, has launched a diplomatic push since his inauguration, but so far his efforts have not brought a breakthrough.

“We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it,” Trump added, likely referencing a US-proposed peace framework to resolve the war that has raged for over three years.

During their brief conversation at St Peter’s Basilica, Trump and Zelensky met face-to-face for the first time since a contentious meeting in the White House earlier this year. Following their interaction, Trump expressed scepticism about Putin’s willingness to end the fighting, which has devastated eastern Ukraine and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Trump also suggested that Zelensky might be willing to cede Crimea—the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014—as part of a potential peace deal. When asked if he believed Zelensky was ready to “give up” Crimea, Trump responded, “Oh, I think so.”

Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continues to claim annexation of four Ukrainian regions, even though it does not have complete military control over them.