By Gloria Ogbonna

In a development that could mark a turning point in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Vatican as a “potentially historic” moment.

The two leaders sat down for a private discussion on the sidelines of the funeral for Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica, as the world watched with bated breath.

Following a solemn ceremony honoring the late pontiff, Zelensky and Trump met face-to-face inside the grand sixteenth-century basilica.

A photograph captured the significant moment: both leaders seated across from one another in simple chairs beneath the towering architecture of one of the world’s most iconic religious sites.

The meeting came at a tense time for U.S.-Ukraine relations. Disagreements have grown over the Trump administration’s proposed framework for peace with Russia—an outline reportedly requiring Ukraine to make significant concessions, including the formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.

Despite over three years of bloody warfare and limited battlefield gains, Zelensky has publicly rejected any proposal that would involve ceding Ukrainian land, calling it a “non-starter” for Kyiv.

The White House confirmed that Saturday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky lasted approximately 15 minutes and described the encounter as “very productive,” noting that additional details about the discussion would be released later in the day.

For his part, President Zelensky took to social media platform X to describe the meeting in glowing terms:

“Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered—protecting lives of our people, a full and unconditional ceasefire, a reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you, [President Trump].”

This unexpected warmth stands in contrast to earlier tensions between the two leaders. Just days before the funeral, President Trump had publicly criticized Zelensky, suggesting that the Ukrainian leader was the primary obstacle to finalizing a peace agreement. Trump asserted that Russia is now “ready” to sign an armistice and accused Zelensky of being unwilling to make the necessary compromises to end the conflict.

Zelensky, for his part, had fired back at the Trump team’s rumored framework, condemning suggestions that the U.S. could formally recognize Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Although Ukraine claims Crimea as sovereign Ukrainian territory, the peninsula has been under Russian control for more than a decade. President Trump countered that “Crimea was lost years ago” under the Obama administration and warned that Zelensky’s refusal to accept reality was “very harmful to the peace negotiations.”

Adding further pressure, senior Trump administration officials—including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance—have warned that if an agreement is not finalized soon, Washington may withdraw its support for the ongoing negotiations altogether.

This would leave Ukraine in an increasingly vulnerable position, as Western financial and military backing remains critical to Kyiv’s ability to resist Russia’s advances.

Despite the sharp rhetoric earlier in the week, President Trump struck an optimistic tone after landing in Rome on Friday. Writing on Truth Social, he emphasized the encouraging progress being made behind closed doors:

“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”

Saturday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky may prove to be a defining moment not only for Ukraine’s future but also for global stability.

As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a man who devoted his life to peace and reconciliation, there is hope that the seeds of a long-awaited ceasefire may finally be taking root.

All eyes will now be on what follows—whether the symbolic meeting inside the Vatican’s ancient walls can indeed lead to a historic breakthrough for peace.

Source Breitbart