‘Productive’ Trump, Zelenskyy meeting in Rome, first since Oval Office spat

A White House official described the meeting as “very productive” and noted that it was the first since the tense Oval Office meeting in February of this year.

“President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very fruitful discussion. On Saturday, White House communications director Steven Cheung announced additional details about the meeting.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, described the 15-minute meeting as “constructive,” but he did not provide more details.

The two leaders were in Rome to witness Pope Francis’ funeral service. Their meeting takes place as negotiations for a resolution of the Ukraine-Russian conflict get more difficult.

The meeting in Rome was captured in a special way by Zelenskyy’s office, which provided a rare glimpse into the private exchanges. In a previous image, the two leaders were leaning in close as they spoke. They were seated opposite one another in a grand marble hall.

No assistants came up next to them.

The US president, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron are seen in a close-knit image taken in the same setting.

At their most recent meeting, when Trump and Vice President J D Vance criticized what they perceived as a lack of gratitude for American support, tensions between the two were at their height. Zelenskyy was also accused of disrespect by not dressing up, by a US reporter.

Trump, who has urged a direct meeting between Moscow and Kyiv to reach a truce, claimed on Friday that the discussions between his envoy and Russian officials had been fruitful.

However, Kyiv and its European allies’ positions and Washington’s proposals diverge. A US proposal to legalize the designation of Crimea as Russian territory, which Ukraine and other European countries vehemently opposes, is a major sticking point.