US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
Zelensky said the meeting could prove historic if it delivers the kind of peace he is hoping for, and a White House spokesman called it "very productive".
The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St Peter's Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes, according to Zelensky's office, which also released photographs of the meeting.
The meeting at the Vatican, their first since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February, comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to fighting between Ukraine and Russia.
Read moreTrump urges Ukraine, Russia to meet for 'very high level' talks, says a deal is near
In a post on social media platform Telegram, Zelensky wrote: "Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about."
He said those topics included: "The protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war."
Zelensky added: "It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!"
Steven Cheung, White House communications director, said the two leaders had met privately and had "a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow".
Read moreRussia blames Ukraine for car bombing that killed top general near Moscow
No second meeting
A Zelensky spokesman had earlier said aides to the two leaders were working on arrangements for a follow-up meeting in Rome later on Saturday. However, Trump's aircraft departed Rome with no word on the second meeting. It was not clear if it had taken place.
In one photograph released by Zelensky's office, the Ukrainian and US leaders sat opposite each other in a hall of the basilica, around two feet apart, and were leaning in towards each other in conversation. No aides could be seen in the image.
In a second photograph, from the same location, Zelensky, Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President
Emmanuel Macron were shown standing in a tight huddle. Macron had his hand on Zelensky's shoulder.
To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
After Trump and Zelensky met in the basilica, the two men joined other world leaders outside in Saint Peter's Square at the funeral service for Pope Francis, who made the pursuit of peace, including in Ukraine, a motif of his papacy.
Trump and Zelensky had a 'productive meeting' just before Pope Francis' funeral
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who gave the sermon at the funeral service, recalled how Pope Francis did not stop raising his voice to call for negotiations to end conflicts.
"War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone," the cardinal said.
Trump, who has been pressing both sides to agree a ceasefire, said on Friday that there had been productive talks between his envoy and the Russian leadership in Moscow, and called for ahigh-level meetingbetween Kyiv and Moscow to close a deal.
Russian territorial gains
To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
The Russian army has fully liberated the border Kursk region from Ukrainian control with the help of North Korean soldiers, Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Saturday, admitting their participation in the conflict for the first time.
Gerasimov especially hailed the "heroism" of the North Korean soldiers taking part in the operation, who "provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces".
But shortly after the Ukrainian army denied Russia's claim to have driven Kyiv's forces out of Kursk, saying that "statements by the enemy leadership about the 'defeat' of the Ukrainian troops are nothing more than propaganda tricks".
However, the Ukrainian Chief of Staff acknowledged the situation on the battlefield was "difficult", while insisting Ukrainian forces were still holding positions in Kursk.
The Ukrainian army said it was also continuing operations in some areas of Belgorod, another Russia's border region.
According to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, more than 10,000 soldiers from North Korea were sent to Russia last year to help Moscow fight Ukraine's shock offensive in Kursk.
Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia, which has seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since its offensive began in 2022.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
