This was the first time Pope Francis had ever had a meeting during his funeral since his angry encounter in Washington, D.C. in February.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Voldimia Zelenkie held a “very productive” meeting in Rome, and White House officials first since the tense oval office meeting in February this year.
“President Trump and Zelenkey met personally today and had a very productive discussion. Details of the meeting continue,” White House communications director Stephen Chen said on Saturday.
Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak described the 15-minute meeting as “constructive” but did not provide details.
The two leaders were in Rome and attended Pope Francis’ funeral. Their meeting comes as an effort to negotiate the end of the Ukraine-Russian conflict.
Zelenskyy’s office released photos of a meeting in Rome, giving us rare glimpses of private talks. In one photo, the two leaders sat on the other side towards the magnificent marble hall, leaning closely while they were in conversation.
No aides appeared with them.
Another image in the same environment shows the Ukrainian president standing in close circles with the US president, British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer and French Emmanuel Macron.
The tension between Trump and Zelensky was fully on display at the last meeting. The Ukrainian president faced criticism from Vice President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, who are seen as a lack of gratitude for American support. US reporters also accused Zelensky of being neglected for not wearing a suit.
Trump, who pushed both Moscow and Kiev towards a ceasefire, said Friday that talks between his envoy and Russian officials were “productive” and urged a direct meeting between the two sides to finalize the agreement.
However, a division is emerging between Washington’s proposal and the status of Kiev and its European allies. One major point is the US proposal to legally recognize Crimea as Russia’s territory, and it is strongly opposed to the moves of Ukraine and European countries.
There is also a dispute over the timing of Moscow’s sanctions relief, the nature of Ukraine’s security guarantees, and how Kiev will be compensated economically.
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