Good evening. I'm John Yang. Russia continues its deadly assaults on Ukraine, overnight launching a sweeping drone attack that killed at least four people.

It comes a day after President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodemar Zelensky at the Vatican before Pope Francis's funeral.

Both described the discussion in positive terms.

After that meeting, Mr. Trump took to social media

to criticize Russian leader Vladimir Putin. There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles

into civilian areas, cities, and towns. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war.

He's just tapping me along. William Taylor is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.

He was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under George W. Bush and the temporary head of mission there

in the first Trump administration, later testifying in Mr. Trump's impeachment.

Mr. Taylor, what do you make of that social media post saying that maybe Putin is just

tapping him along?

So, John, I think the president is realizing after that evidence of these attacks and other attacks on religious holidays, we know two weeks ago, three weeks ago now. And we know actually

the discussion that President Trump had with

President Zelensky for the first time a direct, unfiltered conversation between the two

presidents, that President Trump is realizing that President Putin may not be serious about this

negotiation, about stopping this war. I believe that Putin is not serious about

stopping this war, but I think the president may be coming to that same conclusion.

Do you think it was significant that yesterday at the Vatican, there was also French President

Macron, British Prime Minister Starmor, who they huddled briefly together, but they were also there?

I do. I do.

I do.

I think all three of those leaders, British, French, and Ukrainian, having a direct conversation

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