Trump and Zelensky meet on the touch of the funeral of Pope Francis, says the White House

President Trump met in private President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on Saturday in Rome, the White House said, on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral. It was the first time that the two leaders have met in person since their television argument at the end of February at the Oval Office which led to a deep violation between the two countries.

The White House did not say when the two men met, but it seems that it was probably before the start of the funeral, before the president’s departure for the funeral shortly after 9 am in Rome. A White House spokesman Stephen Cheung described him as a “very productive discussion”, but has given no details.

Reunion in Rome occurred at a critical time, just as the United States had presented a plan suggested for a cease-fire in the Ukraine War with Russia and a post-war plan that would give Russia an effective control over all the lands it has seized illegally since the start of the invasion three years ago. The plan includes a major reversal of American policy: an official American recognition that Crimea is Russian territory, even if Ukraine and the rest of Europe argue that it is part of Ukraine.

Mr. Trump had clearly indicated that he wanted his first trip abroad to this term to be in the Middle East, starting with Saudi Arabia, the site of his first visit during his first mandate.

But Pope Francis died. And so Saturday morning, went to Vatican City to pay tribute to the pontiff’s funeral.