Meeting took place before the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square. White House called it “a very productive discussion.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday morning in Rome in the two leaders’ first encounter since their disastrous meeting at the White House in February.
Zelenskyy’s spokesman Sergii Nykyforov gave no details on the meeting, but the White House called it “a very productive discussion.”
Trump and Zelenskyy are in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Their meeting took place before the funeral started.
“President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion,” said Steven Cheung, White House communications director. “More details about the meeting will follow,” he said.
The two leaders agreed to meet after the funeral for further talks, La Repubblica reported.
Trump late Friday said that Kyiv and Moscow “are very close to a deal” on a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Trump’s comments on Truth Social came hours after his special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
“Most of the major points are agreed to,” Trump said in his social media post shortly after arriving in Rome for the pope’s funeral.
Friday was a “good day” of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, Trump said. The Kremlin described the talks as “constructive.” Ukraine was not represented at the Moscow meeting.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday, is having a state funeral at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The memorial, which is being attended by heads of state and high-ranking officials from around the world, is a rare opportunity for informal meetings between national leaders.
“Everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” U.S. president says in magazine interview.
The capital mourns after a murderous attack by Kremlin forces killed at least 12 people.
Ukrainian president is desperately trying to talk Russia and the U.S. into a ceasefire deal, but will need to convince MPs to sign off on it as well.
Donald Trump’s peace proposal involves a potential lifting of sanctions and informal U.S. recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea. That’s a nonstarter for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy, Trump speak in Rome in first meeting since Oval Office bust-up – politico.eu
