Victor EzejaThe United States President, Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held a meeting shortly before Pope Francis’ funeral ceremony began in the Vatican, Rome, on Saturday.
Photos circulating on social media show President Trump engaging in a deep conversation with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy. The pair seated across from each other in St Peter’s Basilica.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelConfirming the meeting, a White House spokesperson described the discussion by the two leaders as “very productive.”
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy said the meeting was good, adding that it centred on having a lasting peace that would prevent another war from breaking out.
“Good meeting. We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting the lives of our people,” Zelenskyy wrote on his X handle on Saturday. “Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results,” he added.
“Hoping for results on everything we covered”, Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Protecting the lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.”
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Laid To Rest As World Leaders, Thousands Of Mourners Pay Tribute
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky followed Pope Francis’ message during his Easter homily, when he called for the end of armed conflict in Gaza and Ukraine.
Ooh, did you guys notice something or is it just me? I’d say Slick move, President @EmmanuelMacron ..slick move! 🫱🏻🫲🏼😎🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/bIoVZucfHW
— Їne Back Їversen (@IneBackIversen) April 26, 2025
The pontiff – the first Latin American leader of the church – had been in office since being elected in 2013 on the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. The 88-year-old Argentine-born clergy died on Monday, 21 April 2025, and was buried on Saturday, 26 April at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in central Rome.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been raging since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Since the assumption of office for his second term, President Trump has been harping on the need to end the war.
READ ALSO: Russia-Ukraine War: We’re Ready For Talks With Trump – Putin
Trump had invited Zelensky to the White House for a meeting to discuss the way forward on ending the conflict. Their discussion during the in-person meeting degenerated into an acrimonious verbal brawl.
Earlier this month, President Trump and US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, threatened to “walk away” from efforts to broker a peace deal. A ceasefire announced by Putin hours to Easter, didn’t seem to have been honoured as Ukraine claimed there were instances of attacks on its territory during the ceasefire period.
Just two days ago, Russia carried out an air attack on Kyiv, considered one of the deadliest attacks since the beginning of the year.
The Thursday meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy is expected to provide lasting peace among the two nations.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
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