President Donald Trump met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome yesterday, with a White House official describing the conversation as “very productive” as both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis.
White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement to pool reporters early Shabbos morning from the Vatican, “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow.”
The meeting marked the first time the two leaders have sat down together since a tense exchange in the Oval Office back in February and comes at a pivotal moment in efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Trump, who has been advocating for a negotiated end to the war, said Friday that recent discussions between his envoy and Russian officials were encouraging and called for Kyiv and Moscow to convene at the leadership level to finalize a peace agreement.
He also cautioned that if progress is not made swiftly, his administration might abandon its efforts to broker peace altogether.
Documents obtained by Reuters from this week’s diplomatic efforts indicate that differences are emerging between the Trump administration’s peace plan and the positions held by Ukraine and its European partners.
One major sticking point is Washington’s proposal to formally recognize Crimea — seized by Russia in 2014 — as Russian territory, an idea Kyiv and European governments have flatly rejected as non-negotiable.
Other areas of disagreement include the timing for lifting sanctions on Russia after a potential deal, the scope of security assurances for Ukraine, and the level of financial compensation Ukraine would receive.
Their last meeting in February at the Oval Office was marked by tensions when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly scolded Zelenskyy for what they described as a lack of appreciation for American support, while a reporter from a conservative U.S. media outlet criticized the Ukrainian leader for not wearing formal attire.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy has consistently opted for military-style clothing as a symbol of unity with Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, foregoing suits as a deliberate statement.
At Saturday’s ceremony in Rome, Zelenskyy continued his signature style, wearing a dark shirt buttoned to the collar without a tie, topped by a dark military-style jacket.

{Matzav.com}