France, April 26 -- Amid global mourning in Rome, the US and Ukrainian presidents held impromptu talks in St. Peter's Basilica as France and the EU reiterate their unwavering support for Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump held a brief but potentially historic meeting in St Peter's Basilica, ahead of Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday.

The encounter, their first since a tense Oval Office exchange earlier this year, focused on a possible unconditional ceasefire with Russia.

Zelensky described the meeting as "very symbolic" and expressed hope that it could deliver meaningful progress towards ending the war.

"We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting live...