Trump and Zelenskyy Meet Amid Pope's Funeral: Productive Talks on the Road to Peace

During a short but notable meeting at the fringes of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had what the White House described as a "fruitful" conversation.

This signifies their initial face-to-face encounter since a tense exchange at the White House In February, this happens as the U.S. President pushes for Ukraine to negotiate a resolution with Russia to conclude the lengthy three-year dispute.

The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, issued a statement describing the private meeting between the two leaders as "highly fruitful." Likewise, a representative for President Zelenskyy verified the encounter, mentioning it spanned around 15 minutes.

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Following the conversation, President Zelenskyy expressed an optimistic outlook, calling attention to its potential significance as a “historic moment.” In a post on his Truth Social account, President Trump commented on the recent Russian attacks on Kyiv which led to civilian deaths, saying, “There was absolutely no justification for Putin to target residential zones with missile strikes.” He went on to add, “This suggests to me that perhaps he has no intention of ending this conflict; instead, he’s merely using these events to get my attention.”

This meeting occurs at an crucial moment because both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have recently suggested that Washington’s dedication to facilitating a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia might diminish unless significant headway is made soon.

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The U.S. has apparently suggested an agreement where Ukraine would yield control over regions taken by Russia since 2022 and possibly acknowledge Russia’s annexation of Crimea—a proposition that Ukraine has refused. Additionally, this plan seems to go against Ukraine’s ambitions to become part of the NATO alliance.

Significantly, following the meeting, President Trump published a post on Truth Social adopting a more critical stance toward Russia and casting doubt on President Putin’s motives concerning resolving the conflict. This shift differs from his previous statements, which frequently emphasized encouraging Ukraine to compromise.

Before this meeting, the relationship between the two leaders seemed tense. At their February gathering in Washington, the US president allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with President Zelenskyy over what was seen as insufficient appreciation for America’s support in Ukraine's conflict with Russia.

At the somber funeral for Pope Francis held in St. Peter's Square, both leaders attended the event. President Trump sat prominently towards the front alongside his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, surrounded by many world leaders and officials. When President Zelenskyy arrived at the service, he received warm applause from those gathered there.

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After the funeral, President Trump promptly left for the United States. Although plans were apparently underway for another meeting between them, President Zelenskyy's representative stated that this didn’t happen because of conflicting schedules.

President Zelenskyy nonetheless held individual talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both of whom were present as well.

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