Zelenskyy breaks silence on ‘historic’

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump met today (26 April) at Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City, marking their first face-to-face encounter since a heated Oval Office exchange in February. Despite past tensions, the two leaders reportedly had a productive 15-minute discussion ahead of the funeral, focusing on securing a full ceasefire and achieving lasting peace in Ukraine. Zelenskyy later posted on Twitter, describing the meeting as “symbolic” with potential for historic outcomes, while the White House confirmed a positive discussion.

The meeting comes as the US urges Ukraine to accept a peace deal that would involve conceding occupied territories to Russia, an idea Zelenskyy firmly rejects, insisting on the full restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Trump, meanwhile, posted on Truth Social, stating that talks between Ukraine and Russia are progressing and called for an immediate end to the conflict. Further discussions between the two leaders are expected while they remain in Rome.