Anna Hartz
Trump and Zelensky’s Private Exchange Caught on Camera
Sometimes history moves in strange ways. Big moments don’t always happen in grand meetings with press conferences and red carpets.
Sometimes they happen in the quiet corners of a church, during a funeral.
That is exactly what happened at the Pope’s funeral in Rome.
On Saturday, inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump met face to face for the first time since their tense meeting at the White House.
Their conversation lasted about fifteen minutes. Zelensky later called the meeting potentially “historic.” The White House described it as “very productive.”
Footage shows Trump, dressed in a blue suit, and Zelensky, wearing black, talking closely.
They appeared focused, ignoring the cameras and the noise around them.
Soon, French President Emmanuel Macron and British leader Sir Keir Starmer joined them. Macron hugged Zelensky warmly. Trump pulled Macron aside.
According to lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling, during the exchange, Zelensky told Trump, “I’d like you to do this, but not this way”, reports Ziare.
Trump replied, “It’s a very interesting strategy, you have my assurance.”
Hickling also said that when Macron arrived, Trump pulled him and said, “Slow down, let me get…” and then warned him, “You’re not in the right place, I need you to do me a favor, you shouldn’t be here.”
Zelensky nodded approvingly at Trump’s words.
This was the first meeting between Trump and Zelensky after Trump criticized Ukraine’s war efforts and accused Zelensky of blocking peace negotiations.
Still, after this meeting, both sides showed cautious optimism.
Later, Trump even posted on his Truth Social account, questioning Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war.
He suggested harsher sanctions if needed, giving hope that Ukraine might not be forced to give up land to achieve peace.
Zelensky also shared a message after the meeting. He called it a “good meeting” and said he hoped for real results, including a full ceasefire and lasting peace.
Sometimes the world changes not with a bang, but with a quiet conversation between two men, standing inside a basilica while the world watched.