U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very productive” assembly at Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome on Saturday, the White House mentioned, marking their first encounter since a disastrous White House conflict because the U.S. president pushes the Ukrainian to make a peace cope with Russia.
Trump was rubbing shoulders with dozens of world leaders at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome eager to bend his ear on the tariffs he has unleashed and different topics.
But it was the assembly with Zelenskyy that drew essentially the most curiosity because the U.S. chief pushes the Ukrainian to make a peace cope with Russia.
The two leaders met briefly on the sidelines of the funeral earlier than it began, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian presidency additionally mentioned.
“The meeting took place and is already over,” Zelenskyy’s spokesperson Sergiy Nykyforov informed journalists with out offering additional element.
Trump and Zelenskyy, each accompanied by their wives, sat within the entrance row of the funeral in St Peter’s Square however had been separated by practically a dozen leaders. Zelenskyy glanced Trump’s means however they weren’t seen to satisfy in public.
Both sides had stored the prospects of a gathering imprecise forward of the funeral with Trump saying solely it was “possible”.
Tensions have been excessive since Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy within the Oval Office on February 28, calling him ungrateful for the billions of {dollars} of U.S. navy help given since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump, whereas calling on President Vladimir Putin to cease Russia’s assaults on Ukraine, has not too long ago blamed Zelenskyy for the warfare and the persevering with bloodshed.
He has additionally pushed Zelenskyy to simply accept beforehand unpalatable concessions resembling acknowledging that Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014, will stay in Russian arms beneath any deal to cease the battle.
Arriving in Rome late Friday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, Trump pushed for Russian and Ukrainian leaders to satisfy after what he mentioned was progress in talks
“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off’,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
“Most of the major points are agreed to,” he mentioned.
Putin on Friday in the meantime mentioned the “possibility” of direct talks with Ukraine in a gathering with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
But Zelenskyy once more rejected recommendations that Ukraine hand over Crimea, and Witkoff’s assembly with Putin got here simply after a high Russian basic was killed in a automotive bomb assault exterior Moscow.
An more and more pissed off Trump final week threatened to stroll away from peace efforts if he doesn’t see progress in direction of a cease-fire.
Trump final yr promised to finish the Ukraine warfare inside 24 hours if elected president, although he mentioned in a Time journal interview this week that he was talking “in jest”.
Source: www.dailysabah.com