"His revelation soon came in the guise of a Truth Social post. "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," Trump mused.

"It makes me think that maybe [Putin] doesn't want to stop the war."

For months, Zelenskyy and European leaders have struggled to deliver that message to Trump. Now, in part thanks to Trump's unlikely pilgrimage to the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral, they may see new hope for their intervention before the Ukraine war is lost for good.

This could, of course, all come to naught.

The US president is notoriously mercurial. His thinking may change the next time he speaks with Putin, or with one of his own advisers deeply sceptical of Ukraine.

Trump's post mentioning Putin was mainly dedicated to attacking the New York Times' White House correspondent, whom he derided as "liddle" and a "very biased and untalented writer".

And Trump left the Vatican before a second meeting with Zelenskyy was supposed to take place."

'
He may just be, "abjectly stupid". Like his culitists.