President Donald Trump revealed new details Tuesday night about his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two leaders crossed paths at the Vatican during the funeral for Pope Francis. It was their first face-to-face meeting since their tense Oval Office exchange earlier this year.
"I was telling him that it's a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger," Trump said during a NewsNation town hall. He called the discussion meaningful and stressed the importance of reaching an agreement to end the war.
The White House and Ukrainian officials kept quiet about the conversation at the time. They described it only as “productive” and “symbolic.” But Zelenskyy later posted on X, sharing that the meeting focused on peace and preventing further bloodshed.
“We discussed a lot one on one,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” He called it a symbolic meeting with the potential to become historic.
Over the weekend, Trump spoke to reporters about one of Zelenskyy's key requests. “He told me that he needs more weapons, but he's been saying that for three years,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. will be watching how Russia responds before making further decisions.
Trump criticized Russia’s recent military strikes, saying they came after sensitive discussions. “I’ve been surprised and disappointed — very disappointed — that they did the bombing of those places after discussions,” he said. He did not elaborate on which areas were hit.
The issue of Crimea also came up. Trump said he believes Zelenskyy may be willing to cede the territory in exchange for peace. Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea remains one of the biggest obstacles in ending the war.
Zelenskyy has publicly opposed any deal that includes surrendering the region. He has called Crimea part of Ukraine and said it cannot be negotiated away. That position has held firm despite outside pressure to strike a deal.
Trump did not say whether the U.S. would support a peace deal involving territorial concessions. But he hinted that both sides may need to make hard choices. “We’re going to see what happens with respect to Russia,” he said.
The Vatican meeting marked a rare diplomatic moment during a solemn event. Whether it leads to lasting peace remains to be seen. But for now, both leaders are signaling they’re at least talking.