SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
By Rob Harris
Vatican City: US President Donald Trump has mulled imposing more sanctions on Russia and expressed doubts that Vladimir Putin wants to end his war with Ukraine, only hours after meeting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the funeral for Pope Francis.
The US and Ukrainian leaders staged an unannounced meeting within St Peter’s Basilica minutes before the Pope’s funeral, as efforts intensified to negotiate a peace agreement in the Ukraine conflict.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky talk before the funeral.Credit: AP
Images released by the Ukrainian president’s office of the Trump meeting showed the two leaders in close conversation near the entrance of the basilica without aides. It was the first face-to-face exchange between Trump and Zelensky since February, when a tense White House encounter between them resulted in a temporary suspension of US military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, and marked a significant shift in tone.
The urgency behind the diplomatic efforts at the Vatican was underscored by a major escalation in violence last week. Kyiv was struck by the largest Russian missile barrage since July 2024, resulting in 12 civilian deaths.
Hours after the basilica meeting, as the Pope’s funeral reached its end, news reports broke out of Moscow that Putin was claiming to have nullified a key Ukraine bargaining chip by removing Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region, opening the way for further Russian advances in the conflict.
In a statement, Putin congratulated the Russian soldiers and commanders and said Kyiv’s incursion – the first foreign military offensive in Russia since World War II – had “completely failed”.
Ukrainian officials rejected that, however, saying the claim was not true and fighting continued in the region, seven months after Ukraine first crossed into the Russian territory.
As he flew back to the United States after the funeral, Trump expressed new scepticism that a peace deal could be reached soon between Russia and Ukraine.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted, referencing the attacks on Ukraine this week.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many people are dying!!!”
Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport following the funeral.Credit: AP
The White House described the meeting with Zelensky as “very productive”. Both US and Ukrainian officials said the discussion lasted about 15 minutes.
“We discussed a lot one on one,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “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. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS.”
The meeting occurred during a tightly choreographed papal funeral attended by dozens of world leaders. Putin did not attend. Zelensky, who arrived in Rome with his wife, Olena Zelenska, was seated in the front row of St Peter’s Square – a rare protocol exception given Ukraine’s usual diplomatic ranking. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said only that a “vacant place” had been filled.
Seating at the funeral was arranged according to country names in French, following longstanding diplomatic norms. As president of Ukraine, Zelensky would typically have been seated in the third row or further back. Instead, he was positioned 11 seats from Trump, allowing for a potential interaction.
The coffin of Pope Francis is carried in front of dignitaries.Credit: AP
In addition to Trump and Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were seen briefly in conversation with the two leaders inside the basilica before the funeral began. Trump also exchanged greetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, his first known interaction with her since returning to office.
In a powerful and at times pointed homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re honoured the life and legacy of Pope Francis at his funeral, while appearing to take a subtle swipe at Trump.
Speaking before 200,000 people in St Peter’s Square, the dean of the College of Cardinals recalled Pope Francis’ enduring call for compassion and unity.
“‘Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation he repeated many times,” Re said, in what many observers interpreted as a thinly veiled reference to Trump’s immigration policies and his long-standing push to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump were seated in the front row of dignitaries at the service, listening intently as Re praised Francis’ global outreach and humanity. “His service of faith … was always linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions,” the cardinal said.
Re’s mention of the Mass that Francis held in 2016 on the US-Mexico border drew applause from the crowds.
The timing of the Vatican encounter between Trump and Zelensky follows renewed pressure from the US to accelerate progress on a peace deal.
In Kyiv, Zelensky had signalled a willingness to make concessions in the name of progress. Speaking before his departure for Rome, he said Ukraine was open to dialogue “in any format with anyone”, but only if Russia demonstrated readiness to end the war through a “complete and unconditional ceasefire”.
Dignitaries at the funeral included French President Emmanuel Macron (second from left). Credit: AP
He also acknowledged the likelihood that Ukraine would not join NATO in the near future, calling for realistic security guarantees.
“We have to understand what security guarantees Ukraine needs,” Zelensky said. He suggested these could include cyber defence, European military presence, and US-provided Patriot air defence systems, rather than NATO troops on the ground.
A draft agreement titled “Ukraine Deal Framework”, developed in the week during talks in London and obtained by Reuters, proposes a full ceasefire on land, air and sea. The document states that the ceasefire would be monitored by the US and supported by third-party countries.
The draft also outlines security guarantees for Ukraine similar to NATO’s Article 5 – the mutual defence clause – without granting full NATO membership. Ukraine would regain control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022.
The proposal includes provisions for a minerals agreement between Ukraine and the US, granting Washington access to Ukrainian rare earth metals in exchange for financial compensation. The funding would be drawn from frozen Russian assets, pending war-related reparations.
However, the framework faces significant political and diplomatic hurdles. Moscow is expected to oppose key elements, including the presence of foreign forces in Ukraine and Ukraine’s right to build its military without restrictions. The draft does not reference Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal reportedly includes US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, though it does not require Ukraine to do the same – a potential sticking point for Kyiv and its allies.
Direct talks between Ukraine and Russia have not occurred since the early weeks of the 2022 invasion. While both sides have signalled openness to dialogue, the conditions for a formal agreement remain complex and politically sensitive.
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