President Donald Trump meets face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their Oval Office spat in February. (Vatican and Ukraine Ambassador to Holy See)
Trump and Zelenskyy met face-to-face for the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February, as both were attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome.
After the meeting, the Ukrainian president posted on X that the meeting was "very symbolic" and could potentially be "historic."
The meeting came as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appeared to be at a standstill with Zelenskyy and Putin making competing demands.
TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL
An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Trump said Zelenskyy spoke to him about Crimea, which has been a sticking point for the Ukrainian president.
American officials have apparently floated the idea of recognizing Russia's control of Crimea, a territory that Russia seized in 2014, as part of a ceasefire proposal. This would also involve the freezing of current frontlines.
But Zelenskyy has drawn a red line about Crimea.
In 2022, Zelenskyy said the Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe "began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – and its liberation," according to a report from Axios.
VANCE ISSUES ULTIMATUM TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE ON PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
Shipping containers are seen at the container terminal of the port of Oakland, California, U.S., October 28, 2021. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Since his return to the Oval Office, Trump said the U.S. has been more respected than ever before. He also noted that with that strength, there are actions he can take against Russia, though he is not looking to act.
"There’s no more games," he said before taking another dig at former President Biden. "We have somebody that knows what he’s doing, not like the previous person who didn’t have a clue."
Trump touted that since implementing tariffs, costs are dropping "way down."
For instance, he said groceries, eggs and gasoline are coming down. He also said the U.S. is collecting "a lot" of money from the tariffs.
"Eventually, we’ll be reducing taxes very substantially to the people of our country because the money is so great coming in from tariffs, that I’ll be able to reduce taxes to a very large extent, and maybe almost completely," Trump said.
Along with tariffs, the president addressed peace negotiations in Iran, saying he thinks the deal is going to be made without "having to start dropping bombs all over the place."
VIRGINIA GIUFFRE, JEFFREY EPSTEIN AND PRINCE ANDREW ACCUSER, DEAD AT 41 BY SUICIDE: REPORT
On a more somber note, Trump was asked for his reaction to Virginia Giuffre's suicide in Australia.
Prince Andrew allegedly appears in this photograph with his arm around the waist of then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre. Ghislaine Maxwell is standing to the right. (U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
Giuffre, 41, one of Epstein’s and Prince Andrew’s most prominent accusers, filed a lawsuit against the English royal in New York in 2021. In the lawsuit, Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002, when she was underage.
She died in Neergabby, Australia over the weekend, where she had been living, according to an NBC report.
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"Well, it's a very sad situation, the whole thing," Trump said. "That whole situation is very sad, her and others. And so certainly that's a horrible thing, horrible."
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson, Bradford Betz and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
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