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 known 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, based on 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 lots. We hope for a outcome from all of the issues that have been spoken about.”
He mentioned these matters included: “The safety of the lives of our individuals. An entire and unconditional ceasefire. A dependable and lasting peace that may stop a recurrence of conflict.”
Zelenskyy added: “It was a really symbolic assembly that has the potential to change into 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 in regards to the assembly will comply with.”
Second assembly?
A Zelenskyy spokesman had earlier mentioned aides to the 2 leaders have been engaged on preparations for a follow-up assembly in Rome in a while Saturday. Nonetheless, 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 ft aside, and have been leaning in in the direction of one another in dialog. No aides might 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 have been proven standing in a decent 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.
“Battle 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 known 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, based on 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 purple line they won’t cross.
There are additionally variations on how rapidly sanctions on Russia can be lifted if a peace deal was signed, what sort of safety ensures Ukraine would have, and the way Ukraine can 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 Battle 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 along 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.
