Pope Francis was said farewell at the Vatican on April 26. Thousands of people, including dozens of world leaders, attended the ceremony.
Among those who attended the funeral were the US President Donald Trump, former the US President Joe Biden, Argentine leader Javier Milley, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Prince William of Wales, King Felipe VI of Spain, French President Emmanuel Macron, and others.
Volodymyr Zelensky met with Emmanuel Macron. According to Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, the politicians discussed future efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. Zelensky told the politician about the consequences of Russian attacks on Kryvyi Rih, Sumy and Kyiv.
The French leader wrote on social media X that it was a “very positive conversation”. He reported the continuation of the work of the coalition of the willing.
"Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire. President Zelensky confirmed this to me again today. Now itʼs Putinʼs turn to prove that he really wants peace," Macron says.
Andrii Sybiha / X
Emmanuel Macron / X
Zelensky also spoke one-on-one with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. According to Suspilne, the conversation lasted for over an hour. The talks focused on steps needed to establish a "complete and unconditional" ceasefire, as well as developing security guarantees for Kyiv.
"We summed up the results of the meetings of representatives of Ukraine, the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany in Paris and London. We will continue to work within the coalition of the willing," the Ukrainian president commented on the conversation.
"The people of Ukraine can count on us," added Keir Starmer.
In Rome, Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She assured the Ukrainian president that he could count on Europeʼs support at the peace table.
“Today we also discussed the steps Ukraine is taking to earn its place in our family of nations,” the official wrote in X.
- Before the funeral of Pope Francis, the Ukrainian president contacted US President Donald Trump. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since a public spat at the White House in late February 2025.
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