Trump Publicly Calls Out Putin After Meeting With Zelensky at Pope Francis’ Funeral
Trump expressed doubts that Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine.
President Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania, were among the key world figures to attend Pope Francis’ funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, April 26. Trump joined dozens of heads of state to bid farewell to the leader of the Catholic Church, who died on April 21, at the age of 88, after a series of complicated health issues. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
But ahead of taking his seat for the service, Trump had a brief meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two met on the sidelines of the funeral, before proceedings began. It was their first in-person meeting since their highly-documented Oval Office showdown in February, which saw the two world leaders clash when discussing the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
According to White House communications director Steven Cheung, Trump and Zelensky ”met privately… and had a very productive discussion.” Serhii Nykyforov, Zelensky’s spokesperson, added that the meeting lasted for around 15 minutes. It is thought that the two will continue their discussions later on.
Read More: Pope Francis, the ‘World’s Parish Priest’ Who Led in an Era of Crisis, Dies at 88
The office of President Zelensky shared a picture of the meeting via social media. Trump and Zelensky can be seen sitting opposite one another on two chairs in a marbled room, with the U.S. President leaning in to listen as the Ukrainian leader speaks. Hours later, Trump posted images of the meeting on his Truth Social account.
