Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met briefly in the hush of St Peter鈥檚 basilica before Pope Francis鈥檚 funeral on Saturday in their first encounter since a noisy White House clash and the US president later cast doubt on whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal.
Zelensky said they discussed a possible unconditional ceasefire with Russia and was 鈥榟oping for results鈥� from a 鈥榲ery symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic鈥�.
After leaving Rome, Trump indicated a new approach to the Russian president.
鈥楾here was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,鈥� Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
鈥業t makes me think that maybe he doesn鈥檛 want to stop the war, he鈥檚 just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 鈥楤anking鈥� or 鈥楽econdary Sanctions?鈥� Too many people are dying!!!鈥�
Trump and Zelensky sat face-to-face, leaning forward in deep discussion in a corner of the basilica, as the pope鈥檚 wooden coffin lay in front of the altar before the funeral began, according to images released by the Ukrainian presidency.
The US president flew out of Rome immediately after the funeral mass and there were no further talks. But the two leaders also briefly huddled inside the basilica with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.
Macron鈥檚 office described the exchanges as 鈥榩ositive鈥� and he later met Zelensky one-on-one.
In St Peter鈥檚 Square, Trump rubbed shoulders with dozens of world leaders, many keen to raise the tariffs he has unleashed. Both sides had kept the prospects of a meeting vague ahead of the funeral with Trump saying only it was 鈥榩ossible鈥�.
Putin on Friday discussed the 鈥榩ossibility鈥� of direct talks with Ukraine in a meeting with Witkoff, according to a Kremlin aide.
He told Witkoff that Russia is ready to resume talks with Ukraine 鈥榳ithout preconditions鈥�, the Kremlin added Saturday.