Volodymyr Zelensky recounted how a 15-20 minute conversation with Donald Trump at the Vatican—at the funeral of Pope Francis—became the turning point after which the tone of their relations changed. According to Zelensky, this meeting was "historic" and opened space for dialogue, which he directly connects with the possibility of saving human lives.
Context matters. Before the Vatican, public rhetoric between the two leaders was tense: Trump was pressuring Kyiv on negotiations, Zelensky was defending red lines. The meeting took place without an agenda, without delegations—just two people in a room. This very format, as the Ukrainian president suggests, worked where official channels were stalling.
However, "the tone changed"—that is not the same as "the policy changed." Washington after the Vatican did not publicly revise its demands on Ukraine, did not ease pressure regarding territorial concessions, and did not announce new support packages that would back up warmer words with action. Zelensky is talking about atmosphere—and that is honest, but atmosphere does not stop missiles.
The phenomenon of "backroom diplomacy" is well-known: informal contact between leaders can indeed unblock things that have been stalled for months. But it only works when it is followed by concrete action—decisions, mechanisms, commitments. So far, Kyiv has received a signal that Trump is willing to listen. Whether he is willing to act differently than before the Vatican—the coming few weeks of the negotiation process will tell.
If no tangible step from Washington appears behind the warming of relations by the end of May, will Zelensky continue to publicly call the Vatican meeting a turning point—or will he quietly stop referring to it?
