Zelenskyy (far left) met with U.S. President Donald Trump (far right) before Pope Francis' funeral. Credit: Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis / Getty
A priest sparked outrage by performing a “disrespectful” act beside Pope Francis’ body at St. Peter’s Basilica.
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a brief but highly significant meeting at Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday (April 26).
They met for the first time in person since their tense White House clash earlier this year.
Aides said the two leaders spoke for about 15 minutes on the sidelines before the funeral ceremony began.
Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov confirmed the meeting and shared their plans to continue talks later that day.
“The leaders agreed to continue their discussions today. Teams are working to organize the continuation of the meeting,” he told reporters, according to France24.
The Ukrainian presidency released powerful images showing Trump and Zelenskyy sitting face to face.
They also participated in a four-way exchange with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
A White House spokesman, Steven Cheung, described the initial conversation as “a very productive discussion.”
He promised that more details would be provided later.
Both Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the funeral service in St. Peter’s Square.
They sat in the front row but were separated by nearly a dozen world leaders.
Several other dignitaries joined them in Vatican City to honor Pope Francis.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday (April 21) at the age of 88 after a sudden stroke and heart failure.
Among those attending were the Prince of Wales, Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and former US President Joe Biden.
The 47-year-old Ukrainian leader appeared to receive applause from the crowd.
He left St. Peter’s Basilica after paying his respects to the late Pope.
Despite the respectful atmosphere, tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy remained fresh.
Their meeting followed sharp exchanges over Trump’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine.
Trump’s envoy, General Keith Kellogg, helped craft the plan.
The proposal demanded sweeping territorial concessions by Ukraine.
It included ceding Crimea and large parts of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia to Russia.
In return, Ukraine would retain access to the Dnipro River and part of Kherson.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant would be placed under U.S. administration.
Zelenskyy repeatedly rejected these terms, calling them unacceptable and a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution,” he told Al Jazeera.
“This is our territory – the territory of the people of Ukraine.”
He warned that entering talks based on concessions would embolden Moscow.
“As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, Russia prolongs the war,” Zelenskyy said.
He added, “It will not be possible to agree on everything quickly.”
Despite Kyiv’s firm stance, Trump kept pressing for a deal.
He recently claimed, “They are very close to a deal.”
He urged both sides to meet at high levels to “finish it off,” according to Sky News.
“Most major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW,” Trump added.
“We will be wherever necessary to help END this cruel and senseless war!”
Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s peace envoy, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss direct Ukraine-Russia talks.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive and very useful,” according to CNN.
They discussed the “possibility” of direct Ukraine-Russia negotiations during the meeting.
Before leaving Kyiv for Rome, Zelenskyy signaled readiness to advance peace talks but set strict conditions.
“In the coming days, very significant meetings may take place,” he said.
“Meetings that should bring us closer to silence for Ukraine.”
“We are ready for dialogue, I emphasize again, in any format with anyone,” Zelenskyy said.
“[But] only after a real signal that Russia is ready to end the war,” he added.
He explained, “Such a signal is a complete and unconditional ceasefire.”
Kyiv and Moscow have not held direct negotiations since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Any new talks would likely require additional groundwork, delaying the Trump administration’s hopes of a quick resolution.
Addressing future security guarantees, Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine’s NATO membership was unlikely soon.
“I think we have to be pragmatic,” he said.
“We have to understand what security guarantees Ukraine needs.”
Zelenskyy proposed involving a European military contingent and a “backstop” from the United States.
“For us, the backstop does not necessarily have to be boots on the ground in Ukraine,” he clarified.
He suggested support could instead include cyber defense capabilities, “and above all Patriot air defense systems.”
