The two leaders smiled and shook hands, marking their first public interaction since a contentious exchange at the White House on Feb. 28, when they clashed during a joint appearance with President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy, whose arrival in the square was met with applause, sat next to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Vance was seated nearby.
The White House encounter earlier this year was marked by tense moments. Trump interrupted Zelenskyy repeatedly, at one point accusing him of “playing with World War III” and demanding that he “make a deal or we leave.” Vance backed Trump during the exchange, telling Zelenskyy he should be “grateful to the U.S. president” for trying to prevent Ukraine’s destruction.
The Ukrainian delegation left the meeting early, and no framework agreement on critical minerals was signed between the two countries.
Trump later claimed Zelenskyy was “not a person who wants peace,” while praising Vladimir Putin as someone who “wants to end the war.”
In response, Zelenskyy issued a statement on March 4, reaffirming Ukraine’s readiness for peace negotiations and expressing regret over how the White House meeting unfolded. He said Ukraine is willing to work “under the strong leadership” of Trump if it contributes to ending the war.
According to The New York Times, in the days following the White House dispute, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron encouraged Zelenskyy to recalibrate his approach to dealing with Trump. Macron’s team reportedly assisted Ukrainian officials in drafting the March statement.
On May 13, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said Zelenskyy intended to attend the papal enthronement if the front-line situation allowed it.
Zelenskyy and Trump had a brief exchange again on April 26 during Pope Francis’ funeral, which the White House described as “encouraging,” and which Zelenskyy called “the most substantive” conversation between them to date.