Trump and Zelenskiy have a private meeting in the Vatican cathedral to discuss peace in Ukraine.

Reuters, April 26, VATICAN CITY In an attempt to resurrect waning efforts to put an end to Russia's war with Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday while in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral. According to Zelenskiy, if the conference results in the kind of peace he wants, it might be historic. A White House official described the discussion as "extremely fruitful." According to Zelenskiy's office and photos of the meeting shared by Kyiv and Washington, the two leaders sat in St. Peter's Basilica, leaning in close to one another without any advisers surrounding them, and spoke for approximately fifteen minutes. Their first meeting since an acrimonious altercation in the Oval Office in Washington in February, the Vatican summit takes place at a pivotal point in negotiations to resolve war between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Putin had no justification for firing missiles into cities, villages, and civilian regions over the past three days." Russia launched a missile Thursday that struck an apartment building in Kyiv, killing twelve people. "It makes me wonder whether he is merely trying to push me along and does not want to end the war. Should we approach this differently, perhaps through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?'" Too many people are losing their lives. Trump wrote. Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the Senate is ready to proceed with bipartisan legislation that would impose trade sanctions on nations who buy Russian gas, oil, and other goods in response to Trump's comments. "If Russia does not embrace an honorable, just, and

 enduring peace, the Senate is prepared to proceed in this manner and will do so overwhelmingly," Graham wrote on X. Trump has spoken favorably of Putin, but his post was a change from his typical tone, which has seen the harshest condemnation aimed at Zelenskiy. Posting on a social networking site

Zelenskiy remarked on Telegram: "Nice meeting. We were able to have a number of conversations one-on-one. We are hoping that everything that was said will lead to something. "The protection of our people's life" was one of those subjects, he stated. a total, unconditional halt to hostilities. a stable, long-lasting peace that will stop war from breaking out again." "It was a very symbolic meeting that could become historic if we accomplish mutual goals," Zelenskiy continued. President Donald Trump, thank you. There are no aides in sight. In one image made public by Zelenskiy's office, the U.S. and Ukrainian officials were seated across from one another in a basilica hall, about two feet away, and were leaning in to talk to one another. There were no aides seen in the picture. Another image from the same spot showed Zelenskiy, Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer together in a close-knit group. Zelenskiy was holding Macron's shoulder. Following their encounter in the basilica, Trump and Zelenskiy went outside to Saint Peter's Square to attend Pope Francis' funeral ceremony. Pope Francis made pursuing peace, notably in Ukraine, a recurring theme of his pontificate. 

The funeral service's speaker, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, recounted how Pope Francis continued to raise his voice in favor of negotiating a settlement to resolve disputes. According to the cardinal, "War is always a painful and devastating defeat for everyone: it always leaves the world worse than before." 

VARIATIONS BY TERRITORY 

Trump has been putting pressure on Kyiv and Moscow to reach a peace agreement and ceasefire. In the past, he had said that if the two sides could not reach an agreement quickly, his administration would abandon its peace efforts. Differences between the Trump White House's attitude on peace talks and that of Ukraine and its European allies have surfaced following a round of shuttle diplomacy this week, according to papers from the negotiations that Reuters was able to secure. Kyiv and its European allies maintain that Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow took in 2014, is a red line they will not cross, but Washington is proposing legal recognition that it is Russian territory. There are also disagreements about the type of security guarantees Ukraine would receive, the timeline for lifting sanctions on Russia, and the financial compensation Ukraine would receive in the event of a peace agreement.

Trump took off from Rome in Air Force One following Pope Francis's funeral. He posted a harsh critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media while in the air.

Zelenskiy and Trump's personal connection has been difficult. During their conversation in the Oval Office, Trump charged that the Ukrainian leader was "gambling with World War Three." Kyiv has since made an effort to mend fences, but the jabs have persisted. While the U.S. leader accused Zelenskiy of making "inflammatory" remarks and dragging down a peace deal, Zelenskiy claimed that Trump was caught in a "disinformation bubble" that favored Moscow. However, both men depend on one another. While Kyiv needs Trump to exert pressure on Moscow to loosen some of the more stringent terms it has set for a truce, Trump needs Zelenskiy's support to fulfill his professed goal of bringing about an immediate peace between Russia and Ukraine. One reporter from a conservative U.S. television network who attended the February Oval Office meeting accused Zelenskiy of demeaning the event by not dressing in a suit. Zelenskiy has abandoned suits in favor of military-style clothing since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, claiming that this is his method of expressing sympathy with his compatriots who are defending Ukraine. On Saturday in Rome, Zelenskiy eschewed a suit once more in favor of a dark shirt that was buttoned up to the neck without a tie and topped with a dark military-style jacket.