United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met inside St Peter’s Basilica ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral, in a highly anticipated encounter described by the White House as “very productive.”
According to the BBC, a Ukrainian spokesperson confirmed that the two leaders would meet again later on Saturday.
Images showed Trump and Zelensky sitting locked in deep discussion, just minutes before the funeral ceremony began.
The meeting came shortly after Trump said that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal”, following talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
Posting an image of Zelensky sitting with Trump, the Ukrainian leader’s head of office Andriy Yermak added a single word, “constructive.”
It marked the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since their stormy Oval Office encounter at the end of February, where Trump told Zelensky he was not winning and “you don’t have the cards.”
Trump reiterated that message this week, saying the Ukrainian leader had “no cards to play.”
Photographs from the Basilica showed Trump wearing a blue suit, while Zelensky appeared in a black top and trousers.
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The two men were pictured sitting opposite each other, engaged in an intense conversation and bearing serious expressions.
Another image posted by the Ukrainian delegation depicted Trump and Zelensky standing alongside Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Macron placing a hand on Zelensky’s shoulder.
The scene suggested that the British prime minister and French president had played a role in facilitating the meeting, amid the solemn setting of the Pope’s funeral.
Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said more details about the Vatican City private meeting between Trump and Zelensky would follow.
After the meeting, the two leaders descended the steps of the basilica and took their seats in the same row for the funeral service.
During the ceremony, Zelensky and Trump sat a short distance apart in the front row, separated by Macron and other attending heads of state.
Trump has increasingly pressured Kyiv to consider territorial concessions in order to reach an agreement with Moscow, with reported proposals involving the surrender of significant territories, including Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
However, Zelensky has repeatedly rejected such suggestions.
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