On the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump held an one on one meeting for the first time since their tense Oval Office encounter earlier this year. The meeting, described as “very productive” by the White House, comes at a time when Kyiv and Moscow are reportedly “very close to a deal,” raising cautious hopes for a ceasefire.
The two leaders crossed paths at St. Peter’s Square, where they attended the Pope’s funeral, seated apart due to the Vatican’s French alphabetical seating arrangement. Despite the distance between their official seats, Zelensky and Trump managed a private conversation before the ceremony, one that both sides framed as potentially historic.
Zelensky, reflecting on the exchange, shared on X that they had covered a wide range of urgent topics. He stressed the importance of securing a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and building “a reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” Calling it a “very symbolic” moment, Zelensky hinted that their conversation could become historic if it leads to tangible results.
Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to… pic.twitter.com/q4ZhVXCjw0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 26, 2025
Both Trump and Zelensky attended the funeral with their spouses, seated among world leaders under the Vatican’s French alphabetical seating order
