A lip reader has revealed what Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump said to each other during the Pope’s burial, their first interaction since their fight in the Oval Office. Zelensky stated that the meeting between US and Ukrainian leaders might be “historic” and lasted approximately 15 minutes inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. As foreign officials hurry to find a way to stop Ukraine’s war, which has lasted more than three years, the White House welcomed the summit as “very productive.”
Video from the meeting shows Zelensky, dressed in a black top and jeans, and Trump, dressed in a blue suit, sitting across from each other and leaning forward on the edge of their chairs during a heated exchange. Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer later joined the two global leaders, with Macron placing his hand on the Ukrainian president’s shoulder and giving him a kind embrace.
According to a lip reader, Trump provided Zelensky with “reassurance” during the hastily organized bilateral encounter on the margins of Pope Francis’ funeral. According to forensic lip reader Nicola Hickling, Zelensky said Trump, “I would like you to do that but not this way,” despite the fact that the encounter was only recorded briefly. Trump is believed to have said, “It’s a very interesting strategy, and you have reassurance.”
Ms. Hickling’s study of the key meeting also indicated that when the French president arrived, while the two chairs for the US and Ukrainian presidents were being set up, Trump and Macron had a tense conversation. Zelensky and Macron are seen holding hands enthusiastically before Trump yanks the French president toward him. Ms. Hickling claims Trump urged Macron, “Slow down, let me bring…” before they were removed from the camera shot.
Trump then cautions the French president, “You are not in the right here, I need you to do me a favour, you should not be here.” When Trump tells Macron this, Zelensky nods in agreement, but the vicar at the edge of the group appears to ‘uncomfortably’ shift away, as Ms. Hickling observed. It was the first in-person meeting between Trump and Zelensky since the two men clashed at the White House in February, during which the US president told his Ukrainian counterpart, “You don’t have the cards.”
Trump, who earlier this week accused Zelensky of obstructing peace talks and blamed Ukraine for starting the war, repeated the same message. The White House claimed that the most recent meeting was “very productive,” while Zelensky described it as “very symbolic” and suggested that it may be significant “if we can achieve joint results.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha tweeted a photo of the meeting to X, writing, “No words are needed to describe the importance of this historic encounter. Two leaders working for peace at St. Peter’s Basilica.” According to Zelensky, the encounter, which occurred shortly before the Pope’s burial began, had the “potential to become historic.”
He commented on Telegram, “Good encounter. We talked a lot one on one. We’re hoping for outcomes on everything we’ve covered. Protecting the lives of our citizens. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A dependable and permanent peace that will prevent another war from coming out. Very symbolic gathering that has the potential to be historic if we achieve common goals. “Thank you.”
Trump and Zelensky then climbed the basilica’s stairs, where the Ukrainian leader was greeted with deafening cheers from the spectators before taking their seats in the front row. Macron and other world leaders sat between them, a short distance away. Following the successful conversation with Zelensky, Trump swiftly betrayed Vladimir Putin by questioning his commitment to ending the situation in Ukraine.
When Moscow continued to shoot missiles at Kiev earlier this week, the US president expressed fear that Putin was playing him. On his Truth Social account, he stated, “There was no reason for Putin to launch missiles into civilian areas, cities, and towns over the last few days.” It makes me wonder if he doesn’t want to end the war, but is just playing me and needs to be dealt with differently, maybe through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ “Too many people are dying.”
The tightening of Mr. Trump’s stance against Putin will give Kyiv hope for a peace deal that does not require Ukraine to cede land to Russia. Trump has proposed in recent weeks that the US legally acknowledge Crimea, which Putin has held since 2014, as Russian territory. The US would also accept that Putin’s forces have controlled the eastern and southern areas of Ukraine since 2022.