GOOD EVENING, I'M JOHN YANG.

RUSSIA CONTINUES ITS DEADLY ASSAULT ON UKRAINE WATCHING A SWEEPING DRONE ATTACK THAT KILLED AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE A DAY AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP MET WITH VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY AT THE VATICAN.

BOTH DESCRIBED THE DISCUSSION IN POSITIVE TERMS.

AFTER THE MEETING, MR. TRUMP TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO CRITICIZE VLADIMIR PUTIN.

THERE WAS NO REASON FOR PUTIN TO BE SHOOTING MISSILES INTO CIVILIAN AREAS, CITIES, AND TOWNS.

IT MAKES ME THINK MAYBE HE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP THE WAR.

WILLIAM TAYLOR IS A DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AT THE LAND TO COUNSEL'S EURASIA -- ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S EURASIA CENTER AND LATER TESTIFIED IN MR. TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT STATEMENT?

>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS REALIZING AFTER THAT EVIDENCE OF THESE ATTACKS, AND OTHER ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS, TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO, AND WE KNOW THE DISCUSSION PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, DIRECT, UNFILTERED CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO PRESIDENTS, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REALIZING PRESIDENT PUTIN MAY NOT BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS NEGOTIATION, ABOUT STOPPING THE WAR.

I BELIEVE PUTIN IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING IT BUT I THINK THE PRESIDENT MAY BE COMING TO THE SAME CONCLUSION.

JOHN: DO YOU THINK IT WAS SIGNIFICANT YESTERDAY AT THE VATICAN THE FRENCH PRESIDENT AND CARE STAR MARK WERE ALSO THERE -- KEIR STARMER WERE ALSO THERE?

>> I DO.

I THINK THOSE THREE HAVING A DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN ABLE TO IMPRESS ON PRESIDENT TRUMP THE IMPORTANCE OF A FAIR AND JUST AND DURABLE PEACE AND THAT PRESIDENT PUTIN IS NOT PART OF THAT SOLUTION.

PRESIDENT PUTIN STARTED THE WAR AND HE CAN END IT BUT ONLY IF HE IS PRESSURED TO DO SO.

I IMAGINE THAT IS WHAT THE FRENCH AND BRITISH TOLD HIM AND I AM SURE THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY TOLD HIM.

JOHN: THE PRESIDENT ALSO WONDERED IF PUTIN HAS TO BE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY THROUGH BANKING OR SECONDARY SANCTIONS.

WHAT COULD THE ADMINISTRATION DO IN THOSE AREAS IT IS NOT ALREADY DOING?

>> THE ADMINISTRATION CAN PUT SECONDARY SANCTIONS ON THOSE NATIONS THAT BY OIL FROM RUSSIA.

RUSSIA IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON OIL EXPORTS.

RUSSIA SELLS A LOT OF OIL TO THE CHINESE AND INDIANS.

PUTTING SANCTIONS ON THE CHINESE AND INDIANS, IF THEY CONTINUE TO BUY THE OIL FROM RUSSIA THAT FUNDS THE WAR EFFORT, THAT COULD HAPPEN.

THAT IS NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO, THERE ARE SANCTIONS, THERE ARE BANKS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SANCTIONED YET UNDER THE EXISTING REGIME.

THERE ARE MORE SANCTIONS THAT COULD BE PUT ON.

THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE THE EXISTING SANCTIONS MORE EFFECTIVE.

THERE IS A SHADOW FLEET THE RUSSIANS USED TO EXPORT OIL AND THERE ARE WAYS TO CRACK DOWN ON THAT SHADOW FLEET TO BE SURE THAT GOES AWAY, THAT REVENUE STOPS FLOWING INTO THE RUSSIAN TREASURY.

THAT WILL STOP THE RUSSIAN WAR MACHINE.

THAT IS ALSO A PART OF THE VULNERABILITY PRESIDENT PUTIN UNDERSTANDS HE HAS.

THIS IS A REAL VULNERABILITY THAT COULD MAKE PRESIDENT COME TO THE TABLE.

JOHN: WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHERE THIS GOES FROM HERE?

>> I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION, AFTER THESE CONVERSATIONS YESTERDAY, UNDERSTANDS THIS IS HARD, THIS IS DIFFICULT.

I BELIEVE WE ARE GETTING INDICATIONS THEY RECOGNIZE IT IS NOT GOING TO BE DONE IN DAYS AND THEY OUGHT TO TAKE SOME EXTRA TIME TO LISTEN TO THE UKRAINIAN AND EUROPEAN POINT OF VIEW AND ADJUST THEIR PROPOSALS.

MANY OBSERVERS RECOGNIZE THE PROPOSAL THE AMERICANS HAVE PRESENTED TO THE EUROPEANS BUT ALSO TO THE UKRAINIANS AND RUSSIANS IS VERY FAVORABLE TO THE RUSSIANS.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, HAVING HEARD YESTERDAY FROM THE LEADERS OF BRITAIN AND FRANCE AND UKRAINE, CAN ADJUST THAT PROPOSAL WITH SOME TIME AND TAKE IT BACK TO THE RUSSIANS.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE NEXT STEPS.

JOHN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.