- Meeting occurred prior to Pope Francis’ funeral.
- This was their first meeting since a heated argument in the Oval Office.
- Ceasefire discussions in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine are at a pivotal juncture.
VATICAN CITY: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a “very productive” meeting on Saturday in Rome while attending the funeral of Pope Francis, according to a White House representative.
A spokesperson for Zelensky’s office reported that the two leaders met inside St. Peter’s Basilica for approximately 15 minutes and arranged to reconvene later that day, with their teams coordinating the details.
This meeting was the first since their tense exchange in the Oval Office earlier in February and comes during a crucial period for negotiations aimed at halting the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“President Trump and President Zelensky met privately today and had a very fruitful conversation. Further details will be shared soon,” stated Steven Cheung, the White House communications director.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, called the discussion “constructive” in a social media update.
Photos from the meeting showed the two leaders seated across from one another in an expansive marble hall, leaning in close without any aides present.
Another image captured the leaders in a close huddle alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Macron’s hand placed on Zelensky’s shoulder.
Trump, who has been advocating for both parties to agree on a ceasefire, mentioned on Friday that his envoy had engaged in productive discussions with Russian officials, urging for a high-level meeting between Kyiv and Moscow to finalize an agreement.
He had previously warned that his administration would halt its peace efforts if an agreement was not reached promptly.
Territorial Disputes
Recent diplomatic efforts unveiled stark differences between the Trump administration’s peace talk stance and that of Ukraine and its European allies, according to documentation obtained by Reuters.
Washington has proposed recognizing Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, as Russian territory—something that Kyiv and its European allies deem unacceptable.
There are also disagreements over the timeline for lifting sanctions on Russia in the event of a peace agreement, what security assurances would be offered to Ukraine, and how financial compensation would be structured.
Trump and Zelensky have had a tumultuous relationship. During their Oval Office encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three.”
Since that meeting, Kyiv has worked to mend ties, though tensions persist. Zelensky has indicated that Trump is ensnared in a “disinformation bubble” favoring Moscow, while Trump has criticized Zelensky for hesitating on a peace deal and making “inflammatory” remarks.
However, both leaders find themselves in need of each other. Trump requires Zelensky’s cooperation to achieve his stated goal of securing a swift peace with Russia, while Kyiv needs Trump to apply pressure on Moscow to ease some of the more burdensome terms attached to a truce.
During the February Oval Office meeting, a reporter from a conservative U.S. news outlet remarked that Zelensky disrespected the occasion by not wearing a suit.
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelensky has opted for military-style clothing rather than formal suits as a show of solidarity with his country’s defenders.
In Rome on Saturday, Zelensky chose again to forgo a suit, instead sporting a dark button-up shirt with a military-style jacket.
