The meeting before Pope Francis’s funeral was the first from an angry encounter in Washington, DC, in February.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zenskyy had a “very productive” meeting in the Vatican, said a White House official, his first meeting from the Oval office in February this year.
The two leaders, inclined to each other while sitting in the Basilica of San Pedro, spoke for about 15 minutes on Saturday, according to the Zensky office and images of the meeting published by Kyiv and Washington.
“President Trump and President Zenskyy with private today and had a very productive discussion. They will follow more details about the meeting,” said White House communications, Steven Cheung.
Zenskyy’s Cabinet Chief Andriy Yermak described the 15 -minute meeting as “constructive”, but did not give more details.
The two leaders were in the Vatican to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Its meeting occurred when the efforts of the United States to negotiate the end of the Ukraine-Russian conflict face increasing challenges.
Trump threat sanctions
After the funeral, Trump approached Air Force One and left Rome. While in the air, he published a publication on social networks in which he took a difficult tone to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There was no reason for Putin to shoot missiles in civil areas, cities and towns, in recent days,” Trump published on his real social platform. Twelve people were killed on Thursday when a missile dismissed by Russia hit a kyiv Apartment block.
“It makes me think that maybe I don’t want to stop the war, is it only recording me and you have to have to deal differently, through” banking “or” secondary sanctions? “Too many people are dying!” Trump wrote.
The post was a deviation from Trump’s usual rhetoric that has seen the most difficult criticisms in Zenskyy, while talked positively about Putin.
In a publication on the telegram social networks platform, Zenskyy wrote: “Good meeting. One by one, we manage to discuss a lot. We expect results of all the things that were discussed.”
He said the issues included: “The protection of our people’s life. A high and unconditional fire. A reliable and lasting peace that will avoid a recurrence of war.”
Zenskyy added: “It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historical if we achieve articulations. Thank you, President Donald Trump!”
There are no aids in view
Zenskyy’s office released the meeting, offering a rare vision of private conversations. In a photograph, the two leaders sat in front of one in a large marble hall, bowing closely while talking.
No assistants appeared with them.
Another image of the same environment shows the Ukrainian president in a tight circle with the president of the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron.
The tensions between Trump and Zenskyy had a total duration during their last meeting, when the Ukrainian president faced Trump criticism and vice president JD Vance on what they as a lack of gratitude for US support. An American reporter also accused Zenskyy or lack of respect for not using a suit.
Trump, who has pressed both Moscow and Kyiv towards a high fire, said Friday that the conversations between his envoy and Russian officials had been “productive”, urging a direct meeting between the two parties to end an agreement.
However, divisions have emerged between Washington’s proposals and kyiv’s positions and its European allies. An important conflict point is an US proposal for the legal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, a movement of Ukraine and European nations firmly oppose.
The disputes also remain on the moment of relief of sanctions for Moscow, the nature of security guarantees for Ukraine and how kyiv would be compensated financial.
