Trump and Ukraine's Zelenskyy engage in a constructive talk in Rome, confirms American official.
OUT IN THE CITY OF VATICAN: President Donald Trump from the United States and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian head honcho, shared a "super dope" meeting on Saturday, April 26, according to a White House source, as both were mourning the passing of Pope Francis.
In a statement, an official from Zelenskyy's office confirmed the clandestine get-together with Trump, yet refrained from revealing further details.
The champ limited and steamy tête-à-tête, their first since their no-holds-barred brawl in the Oval Office in February, takes place at a pivotal moment in the peace parley aimed at ending the fight between Ukraine and Russia.
Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said, "Trump and Zelenskyy chatted it up privately today and had a highly productive conversation. We'll share more juicy details about the meeting soon."
Trump has been putting the pressure on both parties to agree to a ceasefire, claiming on Friday that there had been meaningful dialogues between his representative and the Russian bigwigs, and urging for a summit between Kyiv and Moscow to hammer out a deal.
Trump previously mentioned that if the two parties didn't come to an agreement shortly, the Administration would abandon its efforts to establish peace.
After a series of secret missions this week, disagreements have surfaced between the White House's peace talks strategy and Ukraine's stance, as well as its European allies, according to confidential documents of the talks that have fallen into our hands.
The White House is rumored to be proposing a legal recognition that Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula stomped by Moscow in 2014, is Russian territory. This proposition is an absolute no-no for Kyiv and its European comrades who refuse to cross this line.
Differences also exist regarding the pace at which sanctions on Russia would be lifted, the type of security assurances Ukraine would get, and how Ukraine would financially be compensated.
During their confrontation in the Oval Office in February, as Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of being ungrateful for American aid, a reporter from a right-leaning US news network took issue with Zelenskyy wearing casual attire during the meeting, claiming he disrespected the occasion by not dressing up in a suit.
Ever since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy has shunned suits in favor of military-style wear, asserting it symbolizes solidarity with the Ukrainian fighters safeguarding their land.
In Rome on Saturday, Zelenskyy opted against dressing up in a suit yet again, sporting a formal dark button-up shirt with no tie and topping it off with a dark military-style coat.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while in Rome, met with President Donald Trump in a private meeting, as reported by Steven Cheung, White House communications director.
- The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump comes at a critical juncture, with both leaders actively engaged in peace talks aimed at ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
- Trump has been urging for a ceasefire between the two parties, expressing hope for a summit between Kyiv and Moscow to finalize a peace agreement.
- Interestingly, despite being in the Vatican, Zelenskyy once again chose to forgo a suit, instead wearing a formal dark shirt with no tie and a military-style coat, a style he has adopted since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
