Waltz explains Trump's push for direct talks with Zelenskyy at Pope's funeral

According to Waltz, Trump was determined to meet with Zelenskyy in the Vatican to push forward negotiations for a peace agreement for Ukraine.

"The thing he (President Trump -ed.) was determined to do was to talk to Zelenskyy face-to-face and talk about how we’re going to get the largest land war in Europe to an end," Waltz said of the meeting between the two leaders in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The National Security Advisor added that Trump was resolutely committed to using diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine and to “talk to both sides.”

"It was just truly special to stand there with other world leaders looking on, as President Trump led the way," Waltz added.

Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump on April 26. Both leaders were in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.

The White House stated that Trump and Zelenskyy had a "productive meeting" before the Pope’s funeral.

"President Trump and President Zelensky met privately today and had a very productive meeting," said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.

Zelenskyy also called the meeting with Trump productive, noting that they discussed sensitive matters during the conversation.

"Of course, totally, it's about how to bring peace closer and how it resulted in positive Paris and London," the president explained.

RBC-Ukraine gathered all known details about the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump.

This was the first personal meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump after their clash in the Oval Office.

As a reminder, on February 28, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House, where he met with US President Donald Trump. During the conversation in the Oval Office, a verbal clash occurred between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance in front of the journalists.