U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy participated in a private meeting in a marble-lined Vatican basilica to attempt to reignite fading efforts to resolve Russia’s war with Ukraine during their visit to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral.
Zelenskiy expressed his optimism that the meeting could be historic if it results in the peace he seeks, and a White House spokesperson described it as highly productive.
At a critical juncture in negotiations to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Vatican will host their first meeting since an angry exchange in the Oval Office in Washington in February.
In a post on the social media platform Telegram, Zelenskiy stated, “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 mentioned that these topics included “the safeguarding of the lives of our citizens.” A ceasefire that is both fullyand unconditional. The establishment of a dependable and enduring peace that will avert the recurrence of war.
Zelenskiy commented that the meeting was highly symbolic and has the potential to be historic if they achieve shared outcomes. “Thank you, President Donald Trump!”
The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, stated that the two leaders had engaged in a “very productive discussion” during their private meeting. Additional details regarding the meeting will be provided in the future.
