A funeral for a pope is always an international affair, but the one for Pope Francis led to U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy having a “very productive” private meeting in the Vatican.

Zelenskyy used his trip to Rome to strengthen the case for support for Ukraine as it seems the international community is getting exhausted by the conflict.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has been making slow advances in Ukraine, but is suffering huge casualties, as are the Ukrainians.

Trump has pledged he will put an end to the war after being sworn in in January, but observers have said he has been favoring Russia in the conflict.

On February 28, Zelenskyy had a contentious meeting with Trump in the White House, with the U.S. president telling Ukraine’s leader, “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”

Other Republican party members criticized Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit – which he has pledged not to wear until after the war with Russia is finished.

After his sit down with Trump on Saturday, the Ukrainian president posted on X – formally called Twitter – that it was a “good meeting.”

“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results,” Zelenskyy wrote, adding a “Thank you” for Trump.

Later on his own platform Truth Social, Trump said he thinks that “maybe [Russian President Vladimir Putin] doesn’t want to stop the war.”

[He’s] just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many people are dying!!!” Trump wrote.

His statement followed an attack on the New York Times for its coverage of the war in Ukraine.

“No matter what deal I make with respect to Russia/Ukraine, no matter how good it is, even if it’s the greatest deal ever made, The Failing New York Times will speak BADLY of it. Liddle’ Peter Baker, the very biased and untalented writer for The Times, followed his Editor’s demands and wrote that Ukraine should get back territory, including, I suppose, Crimea, and other ridiculous requests, in order to stop the killing that is worse than anything since World War II. Why doesn’t this lightweight reporter say that it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired. It was also Liddle’ Peter who wrote an absolutely fawning, yet terribly  written Biography, on Obama. It was a JOKE! Did Baker ever criticize the Obama Crimea Giveaway? NO, not once, only TRUMP, and I’ve had nothing to do with this stupid war, other than early on, when I gave Ukraine Javelins, and Obama gave them sheets. This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine. It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is. With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also posted an image of the meeting on X with the caption: “No words are needed to describe the importance of this historic meeting. Two leaders working for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica.”

Zelenskyy also met with Vatican officials on Saturday, and spoke about these meetings on X.

“I met with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Our conversation focused particularly on the path to a just and lasting peace, as well as the efforts of Ukraine, the United States, and Europe to establish a full and unconditional ceasefire. I am grateful for the support of Ukraine’s right to self-defense and the principle that the terms of peace cannot be imposed on the victim country. We rely on the Holy See to continue to assist us in uniting international efforts to achieve peace, to return Ukrainian children deported by Russia, and to release prisoners,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.

He also mentioned his meeting with the Archbishop of Bologna that Pope Francis had appointed to head his special mission to bring peace to the Ukraine-Russia war.

“It is very important for us to be in Italy today and to unite with the whole world. We are grateful for the Vatican’s assistance to Ukraine in facilitating the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported and displaced by Russia and the release of prisoners. This was one of the key topics discussed during our meeting with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“The most important thing for our state is to bring all our people back, to bring more lives home, to their loved ones, to their families. There are many children who are being held against their will in Russia. We want to bring them home, and this is why we are once again turning to the Vatican for such help,” he added.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome