Trump attends Francisco’s funeral, with whom he publicly disagreed, and meets Zelenskyy

Rome (AP) – The president of the United States, Donald Trump, was one of the more than 50 heads of state and other dignitaries who attended the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, where he presented his respects to the Catholic leader with whom he openly disagreed on several issues. Trump also briefly met with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Blanca and the Zelenskyy office confirmed the meeting, which is the first face -to -face conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian leader since both, together with the US vice president JD Vance, discussed during a heated meeting at the Oval office at the end of February.

The White House communications director Steven Cheung said that “they met privately today and maintained a very productive discussion,” adding that more details would be offered later in the day.

Trump arrived at the Vatican accompanied by his wife, the first lady Melania Trump, and was placed in the first row, not far from the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, for the outdoor liturgy.

Trump told reporters on Friday, during the flight to Rome, that he was going to the funeral “out of respect” to the Pontiff, who died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88.

Francisco disagreed flatly with the approach of the Republican leader in matters such as immigration, treatment of migrants and climate change. The first disagreement between Argentine Pontiff and the US president was for immigration. In 2016, Francisco, alluding to the then White House candidate and his promise to build a border wall, said anyone who builds a wall to prevent the passage of migrants “is not a Christian.” Trump described the “shameful” comment.

But after the death of the Argentine Jesuit, Trump described him as a “good man” who “worked hard” and “loved the world.” In addition, he ordered that the US flags wave at half -mast in his honor.

Trump had said on a couple of occasions before leaving Washington that he would hold “many” meetings with his counterparts outside the funeral. But he seemed to retract while flying to Rome.

“Frankly, it is a bit disrespectful to have meetings when you are at the funeral of a Pope,” he told reporters who accompanied him aboard the Air Force One. “I will talk to people. I will see many people.”

A person with whom Trump did not expect to interact is with former president Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic who went to the funeral with his wife, Jill. Biden, with its characteristic aviator sunglasses, was sitting several rows behind Trump, who had said he did not know that his Democratic predecessor would be in the Vatican. Asked if they would meet, Trump said that “he is not up at my list. He really is not.”

Trump caught attention during the funeral for dressing a dark blue suit with a tie in the same tones, in a sea of ​​rigorous black mourning attire.

The president did not offer Details when asked if he would meet with other past leaders or if he would hold deeper conversations, and pointed out that his stay in the Italian capital would be brief.

“It’s a bit difficult because we don’t have much time,” he added pointing to his late arrival in Rome. It is expected to return to Washington immediately after the funeral.

“I think we are going to try to see a couple of people who are important in what we are doing,” said Trump, who is trying to negotiate a fire between Russia and Ukraine and negotiate trade agreements with several countries.

Immediately after Trump was taken to his funeral seat, Zelenskyy was received with an ovation of the attendees at his exit from the Basilica of San Pedro.

In a publication in his social social network social shortly after his arrival in the Italian capital, the US president wrote that kyiv and Moscow should meet for “very high level conversations” about the end of the bloody three -year war caused by the invasion of Russia. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday and Trump said both parties were “very close to an agreement.” Putin did not attend the funeral.

The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on Saturday also occurs shortly after the most forceful statement of the American to date about the need for Ukraine to give up territory to Russia to end the war. In an interview with Time magazine published on Friday, he said that “Crimea will stay with Russia.”

Russia seized the strategic peninsula in the Black Sea, in southern Ukraine, in 2014, years before the large -scale invasion that began in February 2022. Zelenskyy wants to recover Crimea and the other Ukrainian territories taken by Moscow, but its demand has become a friction point for Trump.

Referring to Crimea during The interview conducted at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said that “everyone understands that he has been with them for a long time.”