VATICAN CITY: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a “very productive” meeting in Rome on Saturday, a White House official said, before both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The meeting lasted about 15 minutes and was their first in-person interaction since a tense Oval Office encounter in Washington earlier this year, where Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three”. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed the leaders met privately, news agency Reuters reported. “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow,” said Cheung.
In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy wrote: “Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about.”
He said the two leaders discussed “the protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war.”
Zelenskyy added: “It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!”
According to Zelenskyy’s office, the two leaders agreed to a second meeting later the same day, with their teams working to finalise arrangements. However, the meeting did not happen, with the Ukrainian President’s office alluding to Trump’s tight schedule. The encounter comes at a critical moment as negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia face major hurdles.
Photographs released by Zelenskyy’s office showed the two presidents sitting opposite each other in a grand marble hall, leaning in closely as they spoke. No aides appeared to be present. Another photograph captured a moment where Trump, Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron stood in a tight huddle, with Macron resting a hand on Zelenskyy’s shoulder.
Trump has been pressing for a swift ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, recently calling for direct high-level talks. He said on Friday that negotiations between his envoy and the Russian leadership had been “productive” and urged Ukraine and Russia to finalise a peace deal soon. However, he also warned that his administration would abandon its mediation efforts if no progress is made.
Despite some optimism, serious differences remain. Documents from the talks obtained by Reuters reveal Washington’s controversial proposal to legally recognise Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — as Russian territory. Kyiv and its European allies have firmly rejected the idea, calling it a ‘red line’. Disagreements also persist over the pace of lifting sanctions on Russia, security guarantees for Ukraine, and financial compensation for the war’s damage.
‘Gambling with World War 3’
The personal relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy has been rocky. During their Oval Office meeting in February, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three,” leading to a sharp exchange. Since then, efforts have been made to mend ties, but tensions linger. Zelenskyy has accused Trump of being trapped in a “disinformation bubble” favouring Moscow, while Trump has criticised Zelenskyy for dragging his feet on peace efforts and making “inflammatory” statements.
Symbolically, Zelenskyy maintained his wartime attire at the Vatican meeting, opting for a dark military-style jacket over a dark shirt buttoned up to the neck, foregoing a tie. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has consistently avoided wearing suits as a show of solidarity with Ukrainian soldiers. At their Oval Office meeting, his choice of clothing was criticised by a reporter as “disrespectful,” but Zelenskyy has stood firm in his decision to maintain the symbolic gesture.
Agencies