U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 28, 2025.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to attempt to revive faltering efforts to finish Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Zelenskyy mentioned the assembly might show historic if it delivers the sort of peace he’s hoping for, and a White Home spokesman referred to as it “very productive.”
The 2 leaders, leaning in shut to one another with no aides round them whereas seated in St Peter’s Basilica, spoke for about quarter-hour, in accordance with Zelenskyy’s workplace, which additionally launched images of the assembly.
The assembly on the Vatican, their first since an offended encounter within the Oval Workplace in Washington in February, comes at a essential time in negotiations aimed toward bringing an finish to combating between Ukraine and Russia.
In a put up on social media platform Telegram, Zelenskyy wrote: “Good assembly. One-on-one, we managed to debate loads. We hope for a outcome from all of the issues that had been spoken about.”
He mentioned these matters included: “The safety of the lives of our folks. A whole and unconditional ceasefire. A dependable and lasting peace that may forestall a recurrence of conflict.”
Zelenskyy added: “It was a really symbolic assembly that has the potential to turn out to be historic if we obtain joint outcomes. Thanks, President Donald Trump!”
Steven Cheung, White Home communications director, mentioned the 2 leaders had met privately and had “a really productive dialogue. Extra particulars concerning the assembly will observe.”
Second assembly?
A Zelenskyy spokesman had earlier mentioned aides to the 2 leaders had been engaged on preparations for a follow-up assembly in Rome afterward Saturday. Nevertheless, Trump’s plane departed Rome with no phrase on the second assembly. It was not clear if it had taken place.
In a single {photograph} launched by Zelenskyy’s workplace, the Ukrainian and U.S. leaders sat reverse one another in a corridor of the basilica, round two toes aside, and had been leaning in in direction of one another in dialog. No aides may very well be seen within the picture.
In a second {photograph}, from the identical location, Zelenskyy, Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron had been proven standing in a good huddle. Macron had his hand on Zelenskiy’s shoulder.
After Trump and Zelenskyy met within the basilica, the 2 males joined different world leaders exterior in Saint Peter’s Sq. on the funeral service for Pope Francis, who made the pursuit of peace, together with in Ukraine, a motif of his papacy.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who gave the sermon on the funeral service, recalled how Pope Francis didn’t cease elevating his voice to name for negotiations to finish conflicts.
“Conflict all the time leaves the world worse than it was earlier than: it’s all the time a painful and tragic defeat for everybody,” the cardinal mentioned.
Variations over territory
Trump, who has been urgent either side to comply with a ceasefire, mentioned on Friday that there had been productive talks between his envoy and the Russian management in Moscow, and referred to as for a high-level assembly between Kyiv and Moscow to shut a deal.
Trump had beforehand warned his administration would stroll away from its efforts to realize a peace if the 2 sides don’t comply with a deal quickly.
After a spherical of shuttle diplomacy this week, variations have emerged between the place of the Trump White Home on peace talks and the stance of Ukraine and its European allies, in accordance with paperwork from the talks obtained by Reuters.
Washington is proposing a authorized recognition that Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014, is Russian territory, one thing that Kyiv and its allies in Europe say is a pink line they won’t cross.
There are additionally variations on how rapidly sanctions on Russia could be lifted if a peace deal was signed, what sort of safety ensures Ukraine would have, and the way Ukraine could be financially compensated.
Trump and Zelenskyy have had a rocky private relationship. At their Oval Workplace assembly, Trump accused the Ukrainian chief of “playing with World Conflict Three.”
Since then, Kyiv has tried to restore relations, however the barbs have continued. Zelenskyy has mentioned Trump was trapped in a “disinformation bubble” that favored Moscow, whereas the U.S. chief accused Zelenskyy of foot-dragging on a peace deal and making “inflammatory” statements.
However the two males want one another. Trump requires Zelenskyy’s buy-in to realize his said ambition of bringing a swift peace between Russia and Ukraine, whereas Kyiv wants Trump to strain Moscow into diluting a few of the extra onerous situations it has set for a truce.
On the Oval Workplace assembly in February, a reporter who was current from a conservative U.S. information community accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the event by not carrying a swimsuit.
Zelenskyy, because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has eschewed fits in favor of military-style apparel, saying it’s his approach of displaying solidarity together with his countryman combating to defend Ukraine.
In Rome on Saturday, Zelenskyy once more determined towards a swimsuit, and as a substitute wore a darkish shirt, buttoned as much as the neck with no tie, and wore a darkish military-style jacket excessive of that.
