A Quick Chat in a Holy Place

A brief, but potentially significant, meeting took place inside St. Peter's Basilica. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump had a 15-minute chat before the funeral of Pope Francis. The White House thought it was "very productive, " while Zelensky saw it as "very symbolic" with big potential. The two leaders were seen deep in conversation, just minutes before the funeral began. This meeting happened right after Trump mentioned that Russia and Ukraine were close to a deal. This was following talks between Trump's envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky's office shared a photo of the meeting, calling it "constructive. " This was their first meeting since a tense one in the White House earlier in the year. Trump had told Zelensky he was not in a strong position and had "no cards to play. " Two photos showed them in deep discussion, Trump in a blue suit and Zelensky in black. Zelensky posted on social media about their "good meeting" and hopes for positive results. He saw it as a symbolic meeting with historic potential. Ukraine's Foreign Minister also shared the photo, highlighting the meeting's importance. Another photo showed Zelensky and Trump with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. This suggested that the two leaders had helped bring Zelensky and Trump together. The White House promised more details later. During the funeral, Zelensky and Trump sat near each other, with Macron and other leaders in between. The cardinal spoke about Pope Francis's calls for peace. After the service, Trump left quickly, but Zelensky stayed for more meetings. Trump's envoy had just returned from Russia, where talks were described as "very useful. " This meeting brought Russia and the US closer on several issues, including the possibility of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.