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.

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.

National security adviser Mike Waltz expressed optimism on where things stand regarding peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with President Donald Trump over the weekend.