‘Very productive’: Trump, Zelenskyy hold private 1-on-1 meet in Rome in first in-person exchange since angry Oval Office spat | World News
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a “very productive” meeting in Rome on Saturday, a White House official said, before both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.The meeting lasted about 15 minutes and was their first in-person interaction since a tense Oval Office encounter in Washington earlier this year, where Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three. Steven Cheung, White House communications director, confirmed the leaders met privately and said more details would be released soon, news agency Reuters reported.
In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy wrote: “Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about.”
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He said the two leaders discussed “the protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war.”
Zelenskyy added: “It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become horic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!”
Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to… pic.twitter.com/q4ZhVXCjw0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 26, 2025
According to Zelenskyy’s office, the two leaders agreed to a second meeting later the same day, with their teams working to finalise arrangements. However, the meeting did not happen, with the Ukrainian President’s office alluding to Trump’s tight schedule. The encounter comes at a critical moment as negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia face major hurdles.
Photographs released Zelenskyy’s office showed the two presidents sitting opposite each other in a grand marble hall, leaning in closely as they spoke. No aides appeared to be present. Another photograph captured a moment where Trump, Zelenskyy, British Prime Miner Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron stood in a tight huddle, with Macron resting a hand on Zelenskyy’s shoulder.
In this photo provided the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, President Donald Trump, second right, French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and British Prime Miner Keir Starmer talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
Trump has been pressing for a swift ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, recently calling for direct high-level talks. He said on Friday that negotiations between his envoy and the Russian leadership had been “productive” and urged Ukraine and Russia to finalise a peace deal soon. However, he also warned that his adminration would abandon its mediation efforts if no progress is made.Story continues below this ad
Despite some optimism, serious differences remain. Documents from the talks obtained Reuters reveal Washington’s controversial proposal to legally recognise Crimea — annexed Russia in 2014 — as Russian territory. Kyiv and its European allies have firmly rejected the idea, calling it a ‘red line’. Disagreements also pers over the pace of lifting sanctions on Russia, security guarantees for Ukraine, and financial compensation for the war’s damage.
‘Gambling with World War 3’
The personal relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy has been rocky. During their Oval Office meeting in February, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War Three,” leading to a sharp exchange. Since then, efforts have been made to mend ties, but tensions linger. Zelenskyy has accused Trump of being trapped in a “disinformation bubble” favouring Moscow, while Trump has criticised Zelenskyy for dragging his feet on peace efforts and making “inflammatory” statements.
Symbolically, Zelenskyy maintained his wartime attire at the Vatican meeting, opting for a dark military-style jacket over a dark shirt buttoned up to the neck, foregoing a tie. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has consently avoided wearing suits as a show of solidarity with Ukrainian soldiers. At their Oval Office meeting, his choice of clothing was criticised a reporter as “disrespectful,” but Zelenskyy has stood firm in his decision to maintain the symbolic gesture.
(With Inputs from AP, Reuters)
