Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Rome ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral. The 15-minute meeting took place at St. Peter’s Basilica and was described as “highly productive” by the White House, according to a report by the BBC.
Officials from both sides confirmed the meeting, though no detailed information about the discussions has been released yet.
This was the first meeting between Trump and Zelensky since their heated exchange at the Oval Office in Washington in February.
At the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Prince William, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attended the religious ceremony for Pope Francis’ funeral.
On Friday, Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to reaching a deal.” His comments came just hours after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Following this, Trump held his meeting with Zelensky.
This year, Witkoff has visited Russia four times to discuss ending the Ukraine war. He held a three-hour meeting with Putin, which Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov described as “highly productive.” Ushakov added that discussions not only covered Ukraine but also broader international issues, and there is potential for direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives to resume.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said more details about Saturday’s Trump-Zelensky meeting would be shared later.
Trump is reportedly pressuring Kyiv to consider a settlement with Moscow that includes relinquishing some territories, including the Crimean Peninsula. However, Zelensky has repeatedly rejected proposals to surrender any land in exchange for peace negotiations.