Vance And Zelenskyy Shake Hands In First Encounter Since Oval Office Meeting

Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a handshake at Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday — marking their first public interaction since a heated Oval Office exchange earlier this year.

The two leaders smiled as they greeted one another during the ceremonial event, with Second Lady Usha Vance also extending a courteous welcome to Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president was seated near European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, just a few rows from the U.S. delegation, which was led by Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both devout Catholics. (RELATED: Return To Tradition: Pope Leo XIV To Reportedly Live In The Apostolic Palace)

JD Vance, Rubio, and Zelensky at the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/xCu6f3YpFW

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 18, 2025

Following the formal mass, Vance and Zelenskyy met behind closed doors at Villa Taverna, the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Italy. Rubio and Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, joined the meeting. A spokesperson for Vance said the meeting was a private diplomatic engagement.

The meeting came amid a brutal escalation in the war in Ukraine. On the same day as the mass, Russia launched one of its largest drone attacks yet, with more than 273 drones striking regions including central Kyiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk, according to Ukraine’s air force. This barrage followed recent talks in Turkey between Russian and Ukrainian officials — their first direct negotiations since 2022 — which produced a prisoner exchange deal but no ceasefire agreement.

Tensions between Vance and Zelenskyy have remained high since their Oval Office confrontation in February. During that meeting, Zelenskyy pressed Vance on why Ukraine should trust any diplomatic efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing what he said was his history of breaking international agreements. Vance responded, saying “It’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.” He added that  Zelenskyy should be grateful for American attempts to bring an end to the war. During the exchange, President Donald Trump publicly backed his vice president.

“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/jIvkoiVdUb

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2025

Zelenskyy had previously criticized Vance during the 2024 campaign, labeling him “too radical” for supporting a ceasefire plan that would have required Ukraine to cede large areas of territory. Despite those criticisms, Zelenskyy’s government has since shown support for the Trump administration’s push for a negotiated peace — a process Russia continues to resist.

“The Russians are asking for too much,” Vance said at a recent foreign policy forum.

.@JDVance: “We think [the Russians] are asking for too much.”

Vance says the Russians right now are asking for “too much” to bring an end to the Ukraine war and says Trump will “walk away” if he feels like he’s not making progress towards peace. pic.twitter.com/rm3Gl4oEgq

— National Review (@NRO) May 7, 2025