Photo: OP
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Vice President J.D. Vance during his official visit to the Vatican. The conversation took place after the inaugural mass of the new Pope Leo XIV and was the first since the high-profile diplomatic dispute in Washington.
The meeting, which took place in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was an opportunity to restore communication between Kyiv and Washington after a tense conversation in the White House in February. Back then, against the backdrop of the failed minerals deal, Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and Vance clashed over the war in Ukraine.
This time, as Vance noted in a post on Platform X, the talks were constructive:
“Our countries share the goal of ending the unnecessary bloodshed in Ukraine. We discussed the latest news on ceasefire negotiations and a lasting peace,” the US Vice President wrote.
Tension in Washington: Zelensky leaves the White House early
The last face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Vance took place on 28 February in Washington, where they planned to sign a bilateral agreement on strategic cooperation in the field of mining.
However, the talks broke down after Zelenskyy reminded them that he had already signed a peace agreement with Putin in the presence of the leaders of France and Germany – and that Russia had violated it. He stressed that a bad deal with Russia would also hit the US.
In response, Trump and Vance said that “they will be fine” even if Ukraine loses the war. After these words, Zelenskyy defiantly left the White House. The deal was never signed.
A papal peaceful backdrop
The meeting in the Vatican, which took place after the inaugural mass of the new Pope Leo XIV, was a symbolic signal to the world. Despite political friction, Kyiv and Washington appear to be maintaining channels of communication.
Both sides publicly emphasise the importance of a diplomatic settlement, although their positions on the peace formula remain different.
