Trump in Rome for Pope’s funeral: possible meetings with world leaders, but no summit

The US president lands at Fiumicino tonight and will attend the ceremony with Melania. Zelensky and von der Leyen present, but bilateral unlikely. Tense climate over Ukraine

Donald Trump will land at Fiumicino airport around 11pm today to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday 26 April. With him will be the first lady Melania. The US president confirmed his intention to meet with some world leaders present in Rome, but ruled out the possibility of official, scheduled appointments.

‘I would like to deal with all of them’
Questioned by journalists in the Oval Office before his departure, Trump left the door open to informal contacts with other heads of state: ‘Many of them will be there and will want to meet me to talk about trade,’ he said, referring to the hot topic of duties, which will certainly be at the centre of possible conversations with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who is also expected in the capital.

Zelensky present, but no meeting planned
Among the most eagerly awaited leaders is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite his formal request for a face-to-face meeting with Trump, no real opening has ever come from the US administration. Vatican protocol dictates that the two are not seated next to each other during the ceremony, and no direct contact is planned, even in light of the recent tensions over the peace plan and Crimea.

Indeed, Trump has accused Zelensky of “inflammatory statements” for his outright refusal to recognise Russian sovereignty over Crimea, as envisaged in the US proposal. A meeting, if it takes place, will be all to watch: it would be the first direct contact since the 28 February clash at the White House.

Difficult bilateral summits
No official meeting has been confirmed by the White House, and even from Brussels it is reported that the possibility of a confrontation with von der Leyen is only theoretical at the moment. ‘It is complicated,’ said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani from Cairo. ‘Maybe there will be greetings during the ceremony, but an actual summit is unrealistic.’

A congressional delegation is also arriving from Washington, while former President Joe Biden will be in Rome separately. Biden had planned a trip to the Vatican in January, a few days before the handover, but was forced to cancel it because of the fires in California. By contrast, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are not expected.

Immediate return to the US
Trump is expected to leave as early as late Saturday morning, immediately after the ceremony. The tight schedule makes it even more difficult to envisage structured meetings. More than 50 heads of state and government are expected in Rome: at most, a few handshakes and exchanges are expected before the US President returns to Washington.

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