In a quiet yet politically charged moment inside St. Peter’s Basilica, just hours before the funeral mass for Pope Francis, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a private, face-to-face meeting that is already stirring headlines around the globe.

According to President Trump, who spoke briefly to reporters afterward, the Ukrainian leader used the opportunity to request additional military support in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia. Trump, who has remained vocal in recent months about reassessing American involvement in foreign conflicts, said he listened but made no immediate commitments.

“President Zelenskyy asked for more weapons, more support,” Trump confirmed. “But he also told me he’s ready to negotiate. He wants peace. He said it clearly.”

The unexpected meeting, which reportedly lasted less than 20 minutes and occurred in a side chapel within the basilica, was not announced in advance and took place away from cameras. It was held shortly before the start of the funeral ceremony for Pope Francis, who had met personally with both leaders in past years and consistently called for peace throughout his papacy.

While the Vatican did not officially comment on the content of the meeting, sources close to both delegations confirmed that the war in Ukraine and the path toward potential negotiations were the primary topics.

Zelenskyy has made repeated appeals for international support since Russia’s 2022 invasion, but his latest interaction with Trump held in one of Christianity’s most sacred spaces underscores the deepening urgency surrounding the conflict as it enters its fourth year.

Though Trump has expressed skepticism about continuing what he has described as a “blank check” policy toward Ukraine, his remarks following the Vatican encounter suggest a subtle shift or at least an openness to re-engage on the issue under certain conditions.

“He wants peace, and I believe peace is possible,” Trump said. “But it has to be the right kind of peace not surrender, not weakness, but something strong and lasting.”

The meeting comes at a critical juncture in both global diplomacy and U.S. politics. Zelenskyy’s team has not yet issued an official statement about the meeting, but aides confirmed the president’s ongoing effort to rally international partners amid stalled progress on the battlefield.

As the solemn ceremonies honoring Pope Francis concluded in Vatican City, the short exchange between the two leaders quietly echoed the late pontiff’s enduring message: that peace must always be pursued, even in the most difficult and divided times.