Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, May 18th, following the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV.
The two leaders discussed sanctions on Russia and the recent peace talks in Istanbul.
This was the first public engagement between Zelensky with Vance since the heated exchange in the Oval Office between the Ukrainian president and U.S. president Donald Trump and his vice president on February 28th.
“During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers,” Zelensky wrote on X, adding:
I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.
“We have also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, battlefield situation and upcoming prisoners exchange,” Zelensky shared.
