Zelensky urged Trump to pressure Putin at Vatican meeting
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged former U.S. President Donald Trump to take a tougher stance on Vladimir Putin during a private conversation at the Vatican, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the meeting.
The two leaders spoke informally during the funeral of Pope Francis — their first face-to-face interaction since a tense Oval Office meeting in February.
What Zelensky told Trump
Sources say Zelensky received signals ahead of the funeral that Trump was open to a brief encounter. Despite concerns among Zelensky’s advisors, who were uneasy about another unscripted meeting, the presidents crossed paths in St. Peter’s Basilica and exchanged a few candid words.
Zelensky stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not shift his position without increased U.S. pressure. Trump reportedly acknowledged that he might need to reassess his approach to the Kremlin leader.
The Ukrainian president also raised the issue of an unconditional ceasefire, referring to an earlier U.S.-proposed initiative that Kyiv supported but Russia rejected. According to a source, Trump responded that the proposal "sounded reasonable."
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine's stance on Crimea, declaring it would never recognize the peninsula as Russian territory. Trump reportedly said he wasn’t demanding such recognition. However, Zelensky added that Ukraine is open to compromise — but only with firm and reliable security guarantees.
One source claimed Trump also pressed Zelensky to move quickly on finalizing a U.S.–Ukraine resource extraction deal.
No official statements have been released. The White House declined to comment, and the Ukrainian president’s office has also withheld public reaction.
Earlier, Trump claimed negotiating with Putin was easier than with Zelensky — and said that if not for him, Putin would want to "take over whole Ukraine."
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