The meeting before Pope Francis’s funeral was their first since an angry encounter in Washington, DC, in February.
United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very productive” meeting in the Vatican, a White House official said – their first since a tense Oval Office meeting in February this year.
The two leaders, leaning in close to each other while seated in St Peter’s Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes on Saturday, according to Zelenskyy’s office, and images of the meeting released by Kyiv and Washington.
“President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said.
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, described the 15-minute meeting as “constructive”, but did not give more details.
The two leaders were in the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Their meeting came as US efforts to negotiate an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict face increasing challenges.
Trump sanctions threat
After the funeral service, Trump boarded Air Force One and departed Rome. While in the air he published a social media post in which he took a tough tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. Twelve people were killed on Thursday when a missile fired by Russia hit a Kyiv apartment block.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” Trump wrote.
The post was a departure from Trump’s usual rhetoric which has seen the toughest criticism directed at Zelenskyy, while he has often spoken positively about Putin.
In a post on social media platform Telegram, 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 those topics included: “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!”
No aides in sight
Zelenskyy’s office released photos of the meeting, offering a rare glimpse into the private talks. In one photograph, the two leaders sat opposite each other in a grand marble hall, leaning in closely as they conversed.
No aides appeared alongside them.
Another image from the same setting shows the Ukrainian president standing in a tight circle with the US president, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy were on full display during their last meeting when the Ukrainian president faced criticism from Trump and Vice President J D Vance over what they saw as a lack of gratitude for American support. A US reporter also accused Zelenskyy of disrespect for not wearing a suit.
Trump, who has pushed both Moscow and Kyiv towards a ceasefire, said on Friday that talks between his envoy and Russian officials had been “productive,” urging a direct meeting between the two sides to finalise an agreement.
However, divisions have emerged between Washington’s proposals and the positions of Kyiv and its European allies. One major sticking point is a US proposal for legal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, a move Ukraine and European nations strongly oppose.
Disputes also remain over the timing of sanctions relief for Moscow, the nature of security guarantees for Ukraine and how Kyiv would be compensated financially.
