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During his whirlwind trip to Italy, President Trump’s interactions with world leaders, as they paid their respects to Francis, were being watched closely.
By David E. Sanger and Motoko Rich
David E. Sanger has covered six presidencies and writes often on the revival of superpower conflict. Motoko Rich is the incoming Rome bureau chief for The New York Times, where she will also cover the Vatican.
Published April 26, 2025Updated April 27, 2025, 10:26 a.m. ET
President Trump flew briefly this weekend into a European continent he has thrown into chaos in recent months, paying respects to Pope Francis at his funeral, but also meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at a critical moment that may decide both the country’s boundaries and its fate.
Mr. Trump was on the ground in Rome for about 14 hours, and left immediately after the services for the pope in St. Peter’s Square, stopping only for handshakes or greetings with a few of the presidents, prime ministers, royals and religious leaders who came to the ceremony.
It was a startlingly fast turnaround for the first overseas trip of a new president, and left no time for discussion of his tariffs on the European Union, his turn toward normalizing relations with Russia or his insistence that Europeans must take far larger responsibility for their own defense.
Mr. Trump told aides he wanted to make it back to his golf resort in New Jersey before the end of the day.
The pageantry of the funeral, including the seating of dignitaries and a moment in the service when world leaders joined in handshakes of peace, lent itself to diplomatic tea-leaf reading. But Mr. Trump’s meeting of 15 minutes or so with Mr. Zelensky was surrounded with a symbolism and mystery of its own.
Photographs of the session released by Ukraine showed that the meeting took place in St. Peter’s Basilica, the two men perched on cushioned metal chairs, deep in conversation as they waited for the services to begin. It was a remarkable scene — an impromptu meeting between two men who have made no secret of their deep dislike and distrust for each other.
English (US)