Vice President JD Vance shook hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in their first public encounter since their infamous Oval Office blow-up and later had a “good meeting” at the residence of the US ambassador to Italy.
Vance and Zelensky briefly crossed paths Sunday while attending the first formal mass by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica, smiling as they greeted each other. Second lady Usha Vance joined her husband in greeting Zelensky as well.
Zelensky was seated nearby European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, not far from Vance. Vance led the US delegation along with fellow Catholic, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Following that encounter, Vance and Zelensky met privately in the Villa Taverna, the residence of the US ambassador to Italy, according to a spokesperson for the vice president. They were joined by Rubio and Andriy Yermak, who leads the Office of the President of Ukraine.
The pair talked about ongoing efforts to end the bloody war in Ukraine and Zelensky’s desire for the US to ramp up sanctions on Russia.
Voice of Ukraine 