Overview

• President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met privately at the Vatican during Pope Francis's funeral, marking their first encounter since a heated February Oval Office meeting.
• The White House described the discussion as 'very productive,' while Zelenskyy called it 'symbolic' with the potential to yield historic results if joint outcomes are achieved.
• Trump, in a Truth Social post, expressed doubts about Vladimir Putin's commitment to peace following recent Russian civilian-targeted missile strikes, suggesting possible new sanctions on Moscow.
• Despite the meeting, no concrete ceasefire agreement was reached, and U.S. officials reiterated that mediation efforts may be abandoned if tangible progress is not made soon.
• European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, also engaged with Zelenskyy in Rome, emphasizing international collaboration on achieving a lasting peace framework.