President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met privately in Rome on Saturday, ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral, marking their first face-to-face meeting since a heated Oval Office encounter nearly two months ago.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed the meeting, stating, “President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion.”
Cheung added that additional details about the meeting would be provided later.
President Trump & Zelensky met before the Pope’s funeral
‘President Trump and President Zelensky met privately today and had a very productive discussion,’ said White House communications director Steven Cheung, saying more details would follow. pic.twitter.com/dl0rVfM1u6
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) April 26, 2025
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Trump’s meeting with Zelensky followed discussions on Friday between Trump’s special envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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After arriving in Rome, President Trump posted on Truth Social that it was a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.”
The back-to-back meetings came during a week of heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv.
President Trump had publicly criticized Zelensky over stalled peace talks in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, blaming the Ukrainian leader for delaying negotiations.
Zelensky had expressed uncertainty about attending the funeral, citing urgent matters in Ukraine following a Russian missile strike on Thursday that killed 12 people and injured 87.
However, he ultimately traveled to Rome alongside Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska on Saturday morning, according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited the Ukrainian president’s spokesperson.
At St. Peter’s Square, the crowd broke into applause when Zelensky’s image appeared on the screens during the funeral services.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Italy on Friday, marking their first international trip of Trump’s second term.
.@POTUS and @FLOTUS arrive in Rome ahead of tomorrow’s funeral for Pope Francis pic.twitter.com/59On2HN3GE
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 25, 2025
The public meeting between Trump and Zelensky occurred after a tense week of failed negotiations regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zelensky had rejected a framework presented by U.S. negotiators in Paris, which reportedly proposed that Russia retain much of the Ukrainian territory it captured over the past decade and excluded Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
Before a scheduled meeting in London between U.S. and European officials, Zelensky told reporters Ukraine would “not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”
Following his remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff canceled their plans to attend the London negotiations, which ended without a finalized agreement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Zelensky for “trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press” and said the president’s “frustration is growing.”
President Trump addressed the situation directly on Wednesday via Truth Social, calling Zelensky’s comments “very harmful” to peace efforts and warning that they could “prolong the ‘killing field.’”
He added, “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War.” Trump concluded, “He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky had previously boiled over during a February 28 Oval Office meeting that also involved Vice President JD Vance.
The session, intended to formalize a U.S. agreement for a stake in Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, derailed after Zelensky allegedly made a condescending comment to Vance, sparking a shouting match.
On Friday afternoon, President Trump reiterated his demand for Ukraine to finalize the deal.
“Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
New from President Trump:
“Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States…..” pic.twitter.com/Cip2NYszFL
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) April 25, 2025
During Saturday’s funeral, longstanding Vatican protocol seated heads of state alphabetically according to their country’s French names, meaning the U.S. delegation (États-Unis) was positioned far from Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the funeral, instead sending Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova to represent Russia.
President Zelensky had previously visited the Vatican in October for an official meeting with Pope Francis. In December, Pope Francis referred to both Russia and Ukraine as “brothers.”
Although Trump and Pope Francis clashed in 2016 over immigration policy, Trump offered praise for the pontiff during his visit to Italy, describing him as a “fantastic kind of guy.”
Trump added that Pope Francis “loved the world” and “was just a good man.”
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