Trump and Zelenskiy hold ‘productive’ Vatican meeting to discuss Ukraine conflict, plan second talks later
VATICAN CITY — US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy had a “very productive” meeting today in Rome, a White House official said, as both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis.
A spokesman for Zelenskiy’s office said the two leaders, in an encounter in St. Peter’s Basilica that lasted about 15 minutes, had agreed to have a second meeting later today, and that their teams were working on arrangements for that.
The meeting at the Vatican, their first since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February, comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to fighting between Ukraine and Russia.
“President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow,” said Steven Cheung, White House communications director.
Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, described the meeting as “constructive” in a post on social media.
Zelenskiy’s office released photographs of the Rome meeting. In one, the Ukrainian and US leaders sat opposite each other in a large marble-lined hall, around two feet apart, and were leaning in towards each other in conversation. No aides could be seen in the image.
In a second photograph, from the same location, Zelenskiy, Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were shown standing in a tight huddle. Macron had his hand on Zelenskiy’s shoulder.
