Inside the soaring nave of St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, the quiet hush of world leaders paying respects to the late Pope Francis was briefly interrupted by a flurry of activity in a secluded corner near the entrance doors.

Downing Street has welcomed the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky over the weekend as “undoubtedly good”. It comes as Sir Keir Starmer said that talks over a ceasefire in Ukraine are “not at the end of the process”, while the American leader suggested that his Ukrainian counterpart could be willing to cede control of Crimea.

The United States has been pushing Ukraine to accept a peace plan that seems in part a gift to Moscow. But the short meeting of the leaders, and subsequent comments, appeared to be a change in tone.