Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Rome on Tuesday as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine while resisting the US pressure for a painful compromise with Russia.
On Monday, Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from US President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian president arrived at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome, for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV and is to have talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later.
Pope Leo stressed the need to continue with dialogue aiming at a "just and lasting peace" during a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Vatican said in a statement.
Answering reporters’ questions in a WhatsApp chat late Monday, Zelenskyy reaffirmed his firm refusal to cede any territory, saying that “we clearly don’t want to give up anything,” even as "the Americans are looking for a compromise today, I will be honest.”
“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories,” he said. ”According to the law, we don’t have such a right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and, to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either."
A major sticking point in the plan is the suggestion that Kiev must cede control of the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have firmly resisted the idea of handing over land.
In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t yet read the proposal.”
Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since winning a second term, insisting the war was a waste of US taxpayers’ money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to end the nearly four-year conflict.
Starmer, Macron and Merz strongly backed Kiev, with the UK leader saying on Monday that the push for peace was at a “critical stage,” and stressed the need for “a just and lasting ceasefire.”
Zelenskyy and his European allies have repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of slow-walking the talks to press ahead with the invasion as his forces are making slow but steady gains while waves of missiles and drones are pummeling Ukrainian infrastructure.
