The French president stated that Kyiv “is ready to (accept) an unconditional ceasefire,” while Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians continue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met this afternoon in Rome with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to discuss details of the meeting he had hours earlier with U.S. President Donald Trump—the first since the tense encounter they held in February at the White House.
According to statements from Downing Street and the French Élysée Palace, Zelensky, Starmer, and Macron agreed on the need to “continue efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in Ukraine” during these meetings, which took place after attending Pope Francis’ funeral.
“Very positive conversation today with President Zelensky in Rome,” Macron stated in a message on X. “Ukraine is ready to (accept) an unconditional ceasefire. President Zelensky reiterated this to me today,” he added.
“It is up to President Putin to show that he truly wants peace,” added the French president, who earlier participated in a brief conversation alongside Trump, Starmer, and Zelensky.
With Starmer, Zelensky agreed to “maintain the current momentum and continue working intensively with international partners to advance the next stages of planning” regarding the potential deployment of the international force proposed by the British Prime Minister.
Zelensky and Macron, meanwhile, held a brief meeting at Villa Bonaparte, which houses the French Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, where both leaders reiterated the same conclusions.
During his stay in the Italian capital, Zelensky also met with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who reaffirmed her strong commitment to Ukraine in its “pursuit of peace.”
“Europe will always support Ukraine in its pursuit of peace,” the German diplomat said in a statement posted on her social media account X.
“You can count on our support at the negotiating table to achieve a just and lasting peace,” added the President of the European Commission, who also confirmed additional discussions regarding “the steps Ukraine is taking to earn its place in our family of nations.”
Following his meeting with Zelensky on Saturday, Trump threatened new sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that “too many people are dying” in Ukraine and that the situation makes him think that “perhaps” the Kremlin leader “does not want to end the war.”
“Putin had no reason to fire missiles at civilian areas, cities, and towns in recent days. It makes me think that maybe he does not want to stop the war (…) and needs to be treated differently, perhaps through ‘banking measures’ or ‘secondary sanctions’? Too many people are dying!!!” Trump posted on his platform, Truth Social, after attending Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican.
The U.S. president was referring to the attack launched by Russia against Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, in which 12 civilians were killed and nearly a hundred others were mutilated or injured.
The meeting lasted about 15 minutes and left several iconic photographs showing both leaders seated face to face on chairs placed over the marble floor of St. Peter’s Basilica. In the images, Zelensky and Trump appear grave and focused, leaning toward each other as a sign of attention and respect.
“Words are not enough to describe the importance of this historic meeting. Two leaders working for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga wrote on X alongside another photograph showing Zelensky and Trump seated face to face.
Zelensky himself also emphasized the significance of a meeting that he said could mark a turning point if the issues discussed are realized.
“A good meeting. We spoke extensively face to face. We look forward to results in everything we discussed. Protecting the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A strong and lasting peace that prevents another war. A very symbolic meeting with the potential to become historic if joint results are achieved. Thank you,” the Ukrainian president wrote on his social media accounts.
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