OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:55 AM – Saturday, April 26, 2025
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have met in person for the first time since their heated Oval Office confrontation back in February.
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On Saturday, both leaders met for a talk as they were in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral.
Officials from both Ukraine and the White House offered limited information about the encounter; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described it as “a very productive discussion.”
Zelensky later posted on Twitter, calling the meeting “very symbolic” and suggesting it could be “historic.”
“Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS,” he wrote.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted on Truth Social after leaving the services in the Vatican City.
Back in February, Zelensky had abruptly exited a meeting at the White House after a heated exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. During an interview with Fox News‘ Bret Baier on “Special Report,” Zelensky described the argument as “bad for both sides.”
Their latest meeting comes at a time when negotiations between Russia and Ukraine appear to have stalled, with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin laying out conflicting terms.
“A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war,” Trump posted on Truth Social after arriving in Rome Saturday.
Trump has taken aim at both leaders individually in recent posts on Truth Social. On Thursday, he urged Putin to “stop” launching attacks on Kyiv and expressed being “not happy” with Russia’s continued aggression. The previous day, Wednesday, Trump criticized Zelenskiy after the Ukrainian leader refused to acknowledge Russian claims over Crimea, seized by Putin in 2014.
Despite Putin having turned down several American peace proposals, the White House remains confident in Trump’s potential to broker an end to the conflict.
“This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday.
Rubio also mentioned “good meetings over the weekend,” apparently alluding to discussions aimed at halting the fighting.
Trump has reiterated that he is committed to sticking with his personal “deadline” to secure peace, stating he believes there’s “a very good chance of getting [a deal] done.”
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