Rome, April 26, 2025 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a brief but significant meeting on Saturday during the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, marking their first face-to-face interaction since a tense encounter at the White House several years ago. The meeting comes as Trump intensifies his calls for Ukraine to pursue a negotiated settlement with Russia.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21 after a prolonged illness. His funeral, held today at the historic St. Mary Major Basilica, departed from tradition, with prisoners and migrants participating in the burial rites — a final tribute reflecting the late Pontiff’s lifelong commitment to social justice.
The solemn open-air ceremony drew an array of global dignitaries, including Indian President Droupadi Murmu, President Donald Trump, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to reports, the event was attended by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and over 4,000 priests from around the world.
While the White House confirmed that Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting was "very productive," no further details were provided. The encounter takes place against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic activity, as Trump seeks to accelerate efforts to end the three-year conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
On Friday, Trump announced via his Truth Social platform that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had held "productive talks" in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump asserted that Ukraine and Russia are now "very close to a deal," urging both sides to engage in "very high-level talks" to finalize an agreement and bring an end to the ongoing bloodshed.
“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to finish it off,” Trump posted. “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war.”
Trump has previously warned that his administration’s mediation efforts would be withdrawn if Ukraine and Russia failed to make significant progress toward a ceasefire.
The coming days will be critical as the international community watches whether these renewed efforts can yield a historic breakthrough in ending one of the most devastating conflicts of the decade.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.