Trump and Zelensky have heart-to-heart inside the Vatican
Thomas Edwards• April 26, 2025
Images of President Zelensky and Donald Trump having a private conversation at the funeral of Pope Francis have emerged.
The relationship between the US and Ukrainian presidents has been marked by a series of complex interactions, beginning with a controversial phone call in 2019 and evolving through various meetings and diplomatic engagements.
In July 2019, Trump held a phone conversation with newly elected Ukrainian President Zelensky. During this call, Trump urged Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in relation to Ukraine. This conversation became the centrepiece of the Trump–Ukraine scandal, leading to Trump’s first impeachment by the US House of Representatives in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
On February 28 this year, a now infamous conversation took place between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office. The meeting was notably contentious, with reports indicating a heated exchange between the two leaders. Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticised Zelensky for what they perceived as a lack of gratitude for American support in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Today, both leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican and met in private. Zelensky posted a photo of the exchange on X, stating: “Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. 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 @POTUS.”
This week, it seems that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be close to being reached. Reports have suggested that under a US proposal, Ukraine would be expected to give up a large portion of land, and Trump has signalled his support for Russia keeping Crimea, which was illegally occupied by Russian forces and annexed in 2014. Zelensky has told the BBC that territorial issues could be discussed if a “full and unconditional ceasefire” were agreed upon, though he has rejected the idea of Russia keeping Crimea.
Trump and Zelensky were among 130 official delegations, comprising 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs, along with representatives from various Christian denominations and other faiths, and a quarter of a million mourners who attended the funeral of the late Pontiff.
(Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine via Getty Images)