Zelensky’s meeting in Rome may show a ceasefire is at hand, but this is no victory

Putin has pushed the US president back toward Ukraine, but Zelensky knows this is unlikely to change the course of the war

The death of Pope Francis brought Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky together face to face for the first time since their abortive meeting in the Oval Office in February. Both sides described their 15-minute discussion as productive, with Zelensky hailing it as potentially “historic”.

The French president Emmanuel Macron appeared to try to muscle in on the meeting but was sharply waved off by Trump. Perhaps no bad thing, as it is understood that the Europeans were involved in preparing Zelensky for the White House meeting that went so badly wrong.

Putin did not attend the funeral. He had met Francis three times in the years before he invaded Ukraine, but rejected the Pope’s offers to travel to Moscow since the conflict began. 

Read the column in full: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/26/zelenskys-meeting-rome-ceasefire-maybe-at-hand-no-victory/