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(LONDON) — The Kremlin on Monday said it was “very important” to push President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward making a peace deal, echoing arguments made by President Donald Trump in Friday’s contentious Oval Office meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

“He does not want peace. Someone should make Zelenskyy want peace,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, his remarks reflecting Russia’s long-standing false narrative blaming Kyiv for Moscow’s three-year-old invasion and more than a decade of cross-border aggression. “If the Europeans can do it, they should be honored and praised.”

The comments came shortly after Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for years of American backing in a statement ending a tumultuous week of transatlantic diplomacy that saw a dramatic and public break with Trump’s administration.

Zelenskyy framed this week’s outreach as the beginning of a longer process that may result in a peace deal to end Russia’s three-year-old invasion of his country. “There will be many meetings and joint efforts in the coming days and weeks,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted to the presidential website.

“There will be diplomacy for peace,” he added. “And for the sake of all of us standing together — Ukraine, the whole of Europe, and necessarily America.”

On Monday, Zelenskyy reacted to another night of Russian long-range missile and drone strikes, writing on Telegram, “Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a peace that is just and reliable. We want this war to end. But Russia does not want it and continues its aerial terror.”

“Those who want negotiations do not deliberately hit people with ballistic missiles,” the president added. “To force Russia to stop the strikes, we need a greater joint force of the world.”

Zelenskyy’s fiery Friday meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance demonstrated the divergence in Ukrainian and U.S. visions of Russia’s war, blame for which Trump has repeatedly and falsely attributed to Kyiv while also seeking to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy.

Russian officials celebrated the disastrous meeting. Peskov told state television on Sunday that Trump’s administration is “rapidly changing” American “foreign policy configurations,” putting them “largely in line with our vision.”

In his Sunday statement, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians “understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States. There hasn’t been a single day when we haven’t felt grateful. Because this is gratitude for the preservation of our independence.”

“We need peace, not endless war,” he added. “And that is why we say that security guarantees are the key to this.”

Zelenskyy attended a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had agreed with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron that the U.K. and France would work with Ukraine to formulate a peace plan that will then be presented to the U.S.

Starmer outlined a plan including the continuation of aid flows to Ukraine and the maintaining of economic pressure on Russia. The prime minister said that any lasting peace agreement must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, and that Kyiv must be at the negotiating table.

In the event of a deal, Starmer said Europe will continue to help Ukraine militarily to deter any future military action by Russia. He also said there will be a “coalition of the willing” to help defend Ukraine.

Starmer said the United Kingdom is ready to back the plan with boots on the ground and planes in the air. He said he also recognizes that not all countries will be able to make this kind of commitment.

Starmer stressed that any deal will need strong U.S. backing to succeed.

Zelenskyy said Sunday he had been given “clear support from Europe,” reporting “even greater unity, even stronger readiness for cooperation” from his weekend meetings.

“Everyone is united on the main point — for peace to be real, real security guarantees are needed,” the president said. “And this is the position of all of our Europe — of the entire continent.”

“In the near future, all of us in Europe will shape our common positions — the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on,” Zelenskyy said. “These positions will be presented to our partners in the United States.”

“Robust and lasting peace, and the right agreement on the end of the war are truly our shared priority,” he added.

ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this article.

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(WASHINGTON) — With Ukraine’s future in the balance, a high-stakes meeting on Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a shouting match.

The stunning exchange, before cameras and one unlike any other in the Oval Office in modern times, saw Trump and Vice President JD Vance rebuke Zelenskyy for his handling of the war, again falsely blaming the Ukrainian leader for a conflict that began when Russia’s Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy was in Washington to sign an agreement that would give U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. But that was before boiling tensions exploded into public view as Trump and Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” toward the United States and the Trump administration.

Their news conference, where they were to sign the deal, was canceled. Trump issued a terse statement and Zelenskyy left shortly after.

“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump said in a social media post. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

Here are key takeaways.

Trump threatens Zelenskyy: ‘Make a deal or we’re out’

After boxing Ukraine and Europe out of initial peace talks with Russia, Trump is continuing to claim Ukraine doesn’t have the “cards right now.”

“You’re gambling with World War III,” Trump told Zelenskyy as they talked over each other in the Oval Office.

he American president then seemed to deliver a kind of ultimatum to the Ukrainian leader.

“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump said. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out.”

Vance gets involved, confronts Zelenskyy

At one point, Vance stepped in to defend Trump’s diplomatic approach, including his talks with Putin, and take aim at Zelenskyy.

Vance demanded to know whether Zelensky has said “thank you” once.

“Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance said to Zelenskyy. “Right now, you guys are going around enforcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.”

Zelenskyy tried to interject to ask Vance if he’s ever been to Ukraine to see the destruction.

“First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean and don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future,” he told Vance.

Trump then jumped in again to chastise Zelenskyy: “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”

Zelenskyy calls Putin a ‘terrorist’

Prior to the blow-up between the leaders, Zelenskyy had harsh words for Putin.

“I really count on your strong position to stop Putin,” Zelenskyy said to Trump. “And you said that enough with the war. I think that’s very important being to say these words to Putin at the very beginning, at the very beginning of war, because he is a killer and terrorist. But I hope that together we can stop him.”

The comments come amid the radical shift in U.S. foreign policy that saw the U.S. first hold peace talks with Russian counterparts. Trump has called Zelenskyy a “dictator” but has declined to call Putin the same. On Thursday, Trump said he trusts Putin to “keep his word” if a deal is reached.

On Friday, Trump pushed back that he wasn’t “aligned” with Putin.

“I’m not aligned with Putin. I’m not aligned with anybody. I’m aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world. I’m alive with the world, and I want to get this thing over with,” Trump said.

But he then seemed to suggest Zelenskyy was a major obstacle in negotiations: “You see the hatred he’s got for Putin? It’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate.”

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(LONDON and ROME) — Pope Francis suffered a “sudden worsening of his respiratory condition,” after an “isolated attack of bronchospasm” which caused vomiting with inhalation, the Vatican said on Friday.

A bronchospasm is a coughing attack.

The pope underwent broncho aspiration and was put on non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with a good response in terms of gas exchange, the Vatican said.

The pontiff, who has been hospitalized in Rome since Feb. 14, remained alert and oriented while receiving treatment, the Vatican said.

His prognosis remains “uncertain,” the Vatican said.

Earlier Friday, the Vatican press office said the pope had a peaceful evening of rest in hospital and is continuing his recovery in the hospital.

“As in recent days, the night passed peacefully and the Pope is now resting,” the Vatican said.

Officials said that Pope Francis’ condition continued to improve on Thursday, with the pontiff alternating between high-flow oxygen therapy and a ventimask, according to the Vatican.

“Given the complexity of his clinical condition, further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis,” the Vatican said.

“For the second time, there is no mention of a critical condition,” Vatican sources told ABC News. “So we can say that we have come out of the most critical phase and we are back to what was previously described as a complex picture.”

On Thursday, the pope dedicated the morning to respiratory physiotherapy and rest. In the afternoon, he gathered in prayer in the chapel of the private apartment on the 10th floor, receiving the Eucharist. The pope then dedicated himself to work activities, according to the Vatican.

“The bulletin again speaks of an improvement, a slight one, but an improvement, but the fact that the prognosis is reserved means that the doctors still have concerns,” Vatican sources told ABC News.

The pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, according to the Vatican.

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(LONDON) — Europol, the law enforcement agency of the European Union, has conducted a “large-scale hit against child sexual exploitation” whose members are part of a criminal group engaging in the distribution of images of minors fully generated by artificial intelligence, authorities said.

With support from 19 countries in Europe, a total of 25 arrests were made worldwide in the operation — named Operation Cumberland — that was led by Danish law enforcement and carried out simultaneously on Wednesday, according to Europol.

In total, 273 suspects were identified, 25 arrests were made and 33 house searches were conducted, Europol said.

“The main suspect, a Danish national who was arrested in November 2024, ran an online platform where he distributed the AI-generated material he produced,” officials said. “Following a symbolic online payment, users from around the world were able to obtain a password to access the platform and watch children being abused.”

Operation Cumberland has been “one of the first cases involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), making it exceptionally challenging for investigators, especially due to the lack of national legislation addressing these crimes,” Europol said. “In this regard, EU Member States are currently discussing a common regulation proposed by the European Commission to tackle this new situation and protect children from being sexually abused and exploited.”

More arrests are expected in the coming weeks in the ongoing operation.

“These artificially generated images are so easily created that they can be produced by individuals with criminal intent, even without substantial technical knowledge,” said Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s executive director. “This contributes to the growing prevalence of child sexual abuse material, and as the volume increases, it becomes progressively more challenging for investigators to identify offenders or victims. Law enforcement will need to develop new investigative methods and tools to address these emerging challenges.”

Online child sexual exploitation remains one of the most threatening manifestations of cybercrime in the European Union and continues to be one of the top priorities for law enforcement agencies, which are dealing with an ever-growing volume of illegal content, Europol said.

“Self-generated child sexual material constitutes a significant share of the CSAM that is detected. AI models able to generate or alter images are being abused by offenders to produce CSAM and for sexual extorsion. Such models are widely available and have developed quickly, with output that now increasingly resembles genuine material, making it harder to identify as artificially generated,” Europol said.

“This poses significant challenges to authorities in identifying the real victims. Even in cases when the content is fully artificial and there is no real victim depicted, such as Operation Cumberland, AI-generated CSAM still contributes to the objectification and sexualisation of children,” officials continued.

Europol said that it, along with its partners, will be launching an online campaign in the coming days highlighting the consequences of using AI for illegal purposes and targeting potential offenders where they are most active: online. The campaign will use online messages to reach buyers of illegal content, as well as other methods such as knock-and-talks, social media messages and warning letters.

“Operation Cumberland demonstrates an ongoing coordinated effort by law enforcement to tackle this threat comprehensively, from arresting criminals to preventing future crimes through education, deterrence and providing support to those who want to seek support or help,” Europol said.

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(ROME) — The Vatican press office has released a statement saying the pope had a peaceful evening of rest in hospital and is continuing his recovery in the hospital on Friday morning.

“As in recent days, the night passed peacefully and the Pope is now resting,” the Vatican said.

Officials said that Pope Francis’ condition continued to improve on Thursday, with the pontiff alternating between high-flow oxygen therapy and a ventimask, according to the Vatican.

“Given the complexity of his clinical condition, further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis,” the Vatican said.

“For the second time, there is no mention of a critical condition,” Vatican sources told ABC News. “So we can say that we have come out of the most critical phase and we are back to what was previously described as a complex picture.”

On Thursday, the pope dedicated the morning to respiratory physiotherapy and rest. After a session of physiotherapy, in the afternoon, he gathered in prayer in the chapel of the private apartment on the 10th floor, receiving the Eucharist. The pope then dedicated himself to work activities, according to the Vatican.

“The bulletin again speaks of an improvement, a slight one, but an improvement, but the fact that the prognosis is reserved means that the doctors still have concerns,” Vatican sources told ABC News.

The pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, according to the Vatican.

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