On Saturday, US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met briefly on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican — a rare encounter that comes at a pivotal moment in efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. It marked their first face-to-face interaction since their tense exchange at the White House nearly two months earlier.

Describing the conversation as "symbolic," Zelenskyy expressed hope that the meeting could lead to a historic breakthrough. The White House labeled their discussion as "very productive," promising to share further information later.

"Good meeting. We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered — protecting the lives of our people, full and unconditional ceasefire, and establishing a reliable, lasting peace that will prevent future wars," Zelenskyy posted on social media.

He added, "It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!"

The two leaders spoke privately for about 15 minutes inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the outdoor funeral mass began. Although a second meeting had been scheduled, it was canceled due to time constraints, according to a statement from Zelenskyy’s office.

The brief encounter followed President Trump’s call for urgent "high-level talks" between Kyiv and Moscow, as he pushed for an immediate end to the war that erupted three years ago with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Trump insisted the two nations were "very close to a deal."

"A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to finish it off. Most major points are agreed upon. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever necessary to help facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war," Trump wrote on his social media account.

The US President has previously cautioned that if no breakthrough is achieved soon, Washington may step back from its mediation efforts.

Zelenskyy, addressing reporters on Friday, had said that "very significant meetings" were expected soon and emphasized the urgency of securing an unconditional ceasefire.

"There must be real pressure on Russia to accept either the American ceasefire proposal or ours — whichever guarantees a swift, genuine, and lasting peace, with appropriate security assurances," Zelenskyy stated.

Following the funeral service, the Ukrainian leader also met separately with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both of whom had traveled to Rome to attend the ceremonies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the funeral.