Zelensky met with Vance for the first time since the altercation at the White House

US Vice President Jay Dee Vance and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky met in the Vatican for the first time since the altercation between them at the White House in February. On May 18, the Bloomberg news agency reported.

"US Vice President Jay Dee Vance and Vladimir Zelensky met for the first time after the incident at the White House, smiling and shaking hands, at the Vatican on Sunday, when the Holy See celebrated the enthronement of Pope Leo XIV," the publication says.

According to the agency, Zelensky sat at the inaugural mass next to the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen, and Vance is nearby.

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On March 17, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Vatican would not assume the role of a mediator country in resolving the Ukrainian conflict. However, as the head of the State Department noted, this is the place that would be convenient for both Russia and Ukraine.

Zelensky got into a verbal altercation with US President Donald Trump and his Vice President Vance during his visit to the White House on February 28. The American leader accused the Ukrainian leader of disrespecting the American administration, and also said that the politician was "playing with the lives of millions of people and the Third World War." He stressed that the Ukrainian side would still have to compromise, but Zelensky did not agree with him.

Vance, who was present at the meeting of the two leaders, also criticized the President of Ukraine.