United States Vice President JD Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, Italy on Sunday. This meeting happened on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Their conversation focused on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and discussions centred on their shared objective of halting the bloodshed in Ukraine, stated a statement from the Office of the Vice President. Notably, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present at the meeting.
What Did They Discuss?
They also talked about the current status of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkiye that aims to achieve a ceasefire and establish lasting peace in the region.
“This afternoon in Rome, Italy, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The leaders discussed their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and provided updates on the current state of negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace,” the statement read.
Zelenskyy, Vance, and Rubio were among the attendees of Sunday’s two-hour-long liturgy in the Vatican, along with the President of Peru, Dina Boluarte.
Meanwhile, the talks in Istanbul were the first face-to-face meeting between Russia and Ukraine after three years of tough military confrontation. Earlier, State Marco Rubio had spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached during Russia-Ukraine talks. Rubio had reiterated Trump’s message, saying, “The death and destruction must stop,” on Saturday.
The statement from the US State Department on prisoner agreement read as: “The United States is committed to achieving a lasting end to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
“The comprehensive peace plan proposed by the United States outlines the best way forward. The Secretary emphasised President Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence,” the statement added.
