Trump and Zelensky Hold Private War Talks Inside St. Peter’s Basilica Before Pope Francis’s Funeral

In a striking moment of diplomacy amid solemn ceremony, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held urgent war talks inside St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, just minutes before the funeral of Pope Francis began.

Photos released by Ukraine’s presidency showed Trump and Zelensky deep in conversation, alone and without aides, surrounded by the grandeur of the Vatican.

Zelensky later posted on social media, calling it a “good meeting” and emphasizing their goals: protecting Ukrainian lives, achieving a full and unconditional ceasefire, and securing a lasting peace to prevent future wars. “A symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if joint results are achieved,” he added.

A White House spokesperson described the meeting as “very productive,” noting it lasted about 15 minutes. Both sides agreed to continue the dialogue in the coming days.

Saturday’s meeting marked the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Zelensky since a rocky session at the White House in February, where Trump had publicly criticized Zelensky’s government and briefly suspended military support.

Interestingly, this latest conversation wasn’t announced in advance. It took place near the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica, just outside the Baptistry Chapel, taking advantage of the gathering of world leaders and the looser formalities around seating arrangements.

While the White House had downplayed the possibility of any sideline diplomacy during the trip, the death of Pope Francis shifted Trump’s travel plans — originally set to begin in Saudi Arabia — and opened the door for unexpected high-level interactions in Europe.

Trump also briefly engaged with other global figures during the funeral, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, amid ongoing tensions over trade and defense matters.

Behind the scenes, the U.S. is turning up the pressure on Ukraine to strike a peace deal. Trump warned last week that the U.S. could walk away from negotiations “within days” if no progress is made.

Landing in Rome, Trump posted on Truth Social:

“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.’”

Adding to the momentum, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff spent three hours in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, discussions described by Moscow as “constructive and very useful.”

Meanwhile, before departing Kyiv, Zelensky signaled openness to negotiations — but with conditions. He stressed that Ukraine would only engage after a full and unconditional ceasefire, and that future security guarantees would be critical, possibly involving European troops or advanced U.S. defense systems like Patriot missiles.

Zelensky also acknowledged a tough reality: Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership is not imminent. He called for pragmatic security guarantees, rather than relying solely on alliance membership.

Talks are also being shaped by a new draft plan, the “Ukraine Deal Framework,” drawn up in London between Ukrainian and European officials. A copy obtained by Reuters proposes a full ceasefire across land, sea, and air — monitored by the U.S. and other partner countries.

The framework envisions:

• Strong U.S.-backed security guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO’s Article 5 protections.
• No restrictions on the presence or operations of foreign allied forces inside Ukraine.
• Negotiations over disputed territories starting after the ceasefire, based on current frontlines.

Ukraine would also regain control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and the U.S. would gain access to valuable Ukrainian rare earth minerals — compensated through frozen Russian assets.

However, the framework faces significant obstacles. Russia is likely to oppose many of its provisions, especially those allowing foreign military presence in Ukraine.

One particularly thorny issue remains Crimea. Although Witkoff’s private proposal reportedly suggests the U.S. could recognize Crimea as Russian territory, Zelensky firmly rejected that idea, calling it non-negotiable and unconstitutional under Ukrainian law.

“There’s nothing to talk about when it comes to Crimea,” Zelensky said bluntly. Instead, he pushed for more economic pressure and sanctions as alternatives to military force.

As talks inch forward, tensions on the ground remain high. On Thursday, Kyiv suffered its deadliest missile attack since July, leaving 12 dead. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Saturday that Russia had regained full control of the Kursk border region — a claim that Ukraine has yet to confirm, and which independent media have not yet verified.

Inside the Vatican, the quiet, hurried conversation between Trump and Zelensky offered a rare glimpse of high-stakes diplomacy unfolding during one of the world’s most solemn ceremonies. Whether this historic setting helps bring an end to Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II remains to be seen.