After a “very productive” discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral Saturday, President Trump blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for “tapping” him along and prolonging the war.

Trump and Zelensky’s talk marked their first meeting since an explosive Oval Office clash nearly two months ago. It comes days after a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv, which killed at least 12 people and injured more than 100 others.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted on Truth Social after leaving the services in Rome. 

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’” he continued, before adding, “Too many people are dying!!!”

Earlier, images of Trump and Zelensky huddling together in St. Peter’s Basilica for their roughly 15-minute-long meeting quickly went viral. 

The White House called the meeting “very productive,” and Zelensky reiterated on X that it was a “good meeting.”

“Hoping for results on everything we covered,” Zelensky wrote. “Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to be historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you POTUS.”

One of the images also showed Trump, Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron embracing each other. 

Zelensky later held separate meetings with Macron, Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where he pleaded with world leaders to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire with Ukraine. 

The Ukrainian prez shared photos and videos on social media of each meeting, where he updated his counterparts on discussions with Trump and pressed for continued military and economic support for his war-torn country.

“The unconditional ceasefire must be achieved in the air, at sea, and on land, and must become the first step toward establishing a just peace with reliable security guarantees,” Zelensky wrote on X after meeting with Starmer. 

“Only strong guarantees can ensure lasting peace and protect people’s lives.”

Starmer, Macron and Leyen each took to social media after their meetings to share their staunch support for ending the war and restoring peace in Ukraine. 

“Ending the war in Ukraine – that is the goal we share with President Trump,” Macron said in an X post. 

“It is now up to President Putin to prove that he truly wants peace.”

Trump’s special envoy also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Putin later claimed Saturday that Russia retook the western city of Kursk, which the Ukrainians captured during a surprise military operation last August. 

During Trump’s efforts to broker peace between the two warring nations, Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine. Overnight into Thursday, the Kremlin carried out one of its deadliest attacks on civilians in Kyiv in nearly a year. 

After arriving in Rome, the president said on Truth Social that it was a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.”

The meetings, and Saturday’s rebuke of Putin, followed a week of public attacks on Zelensky from Trump, who blamed him for holding up peace talks in its three-year war with Russia.

Zelensky was unsure about attending the funeral until the last minute, saying on Friday that he might have to deal with matters related to Russia’s missile strike Thursday that killed 12 people and injured 87.

But Zelensky arrived in Rome with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska on Saturday morning, according to the Kyiv Independent, citing the president’s spokesperson.

The crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square Saturday for the services broke into applause when Zelensky appeared on the screens.

Trump and first lady Melania arrived in Italy on Friday for their first international trip of his second term.

Trump and Zelensky’s public appearance together comes after a tense week of stalled peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelensky pushed back on a framework presented by the US to negotiators in Paris last week that included granting Russia most of the Ukrainian territory it has captured over the last decade and squashed Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO.

Ahead of a meeting Wednesday in London between the US and European leaders — which was expected to be a make-or-break moment in negotiations — Zelensky said in an interview that Ukraine would “not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff then canceled plans to attend the London talks, which ended without a deal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Zelensky for “trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press” and said the president’s “frustration is growing.”

Trump called Zelensky’s remarks “very harmful” to the peace negotiations and said they would only “prolong the ‘killing field.’”

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.

“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” the president added.

Trump’s post also referenced the notorious Feb. 28 shouting match in the Oval Office between himself, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance. The vice president, a Catholic convert who met with the pope hours before his death, was not present in Rome for the funeral or Zelensky talk.

The televised visit back in February, which was supposed to include the signing of a framework deal giving the US a stake in Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, devolved after Zelensky appeared to make a condescending comment to Vance.

On Friday afternoon, Trump again pressured Zelensky to sign the deal.

“Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States,” he posted on Truth Social.

The leaders ended up sitting just 11 seats away from each other due to an apparent shift in Vatican protocol that included putting heads of state in the front row and Zelensky and his wife getting better seats because of cancellations. 

Putin, meanwhile, sent Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in his place.

Zelensky last met Pope Francis in October during an official visit to the Vatican. In December, the pontiff referred to Russia and Ukraine as “brothers.”

Although Trump and Francis sparred over immigration back in 2016, Trump on Friday said he was a “fantastic kind of guy.”

He “loved the world” and “was just a good man,” Trump added.

With Post wires