'He's just tapping me along' — Trump admits Putin may not be interested in ending war on Ukraine

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns demonstrate that the Russian leader may not be interested in ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 26, repeating his threats of sanctions.

In a Truth Social post published shortly after he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Vatican, Trump said that "there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days."

Russia has intensified its strikes against civilian areas in Ukraine as Trump pushes for a peace deal, with a Russian attack killing at least 12 civilians and injuring 87 in Kyiv on April 24.

"It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through banking or secondary sanctions?" Trump said.

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened economic repercussions against Russia over its delays in peace talks, but has yet to make the move.

The comments also come as unusual criticism against Putin, as Trump has largely adopted amicable rhetoric toward the Russian leader while being more critical of Zelensky.