US President Donald Trump met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican on Saturday, shortly before the funeral of Pope Francis, the White House confirmed.
This meeting marked the first interaction between the two leaders since their public spat during Zelensky’s recent visit to Washington DC, where he had been negotiating a minerals agreement with the Trump administration.
White House communications director Steven Cheung described the meeting as “very productive” and said further details would be shared soon, according to the Associated Press.
Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, arrived at the Vatican for the funeral service honoring Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 88. The former president was seated in the front row alongside other global leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, during the outdoor ceremony.
