President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Rome during Pope Francis' funeral, marking their first encounter since a public spat in February. The meeting, described as 'very productive' by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, lacked detailed disclosures from both Ukrainian and White House officials. Zelenskyy characterized the meeting as 'very symbolic,' hinting at its potential historic significance amid stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Trump expressed optimism on Truth Social about the proximity to a peace deal, urging for cessation of violence and promising facilitation of peace efforts. Despite Trump's criticism of both Zelenskyy and Putin on social media, the White House remains hopeful about Trump's capacity to broker an end to the war, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists is 'endable' with mutual agreement.

Trump and Zelenskyy met in Rome at Pope Francis' funeral, their first meeting since a February dispute at the White House, which Zelenskyy later described as detrimental to both sides.

The meeting was deemed 'very productive' by the White House, though specifics were not provided by either Ukrainian or White House officials, with Zelenskyy tweeting about its symbolic and potentially historic nature.

Trump's social media posts highlighted optimism about nearing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing the need to stop bloodshed and promising U.S. support in facilitating an end to the conflict.

Despite Trump's optimism, he criticized both Zelenskyy and Putin in separate posts, particularly focusing on Zelenskyy's statements about Crimea and Putin's ongoing strikes on Kyiv.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the possibility of ending the war, citing productive meetings over the weekend and stressing the necessity for both sides to come to an agreement.

Trump is adhering to a self-imposed deadline for achieving peace, expressing a strong belief that a deal is highly likely, while the White House remains optimistic about his negotiating capabilities.

The geopolitical context includes stalled negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, with both leaders making competing demands, and Putin rejecting several U.S. peace proposals despite ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts.