World leaders gathered in Rome on Saturday (April 26) for Pope Francis’ funeral, including Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron, and Keir Starmer. Trump arrived alongside his wife Melania, joining the dignitaries for the solemn service. However, videos shared online quickly sparked discussion about the stark difference in the way Trump and Zelenskyy were greeted.
Zelenskyy received a spontaneous round of applause from the crowd, while Trump, notably wearing a blue suit instead of traditional black, was met with silence. The contrast was hard to ignore and stirred a lot of reaction online, but what happened next between Trump and Zelenskyy was even more unexpected.
According to Sky News, the funeral also marked the first time Trump and Zelenskyy came face-to-face since their tense meeting earlier this year at the White House. Sources reported that the two had a “very productive discussion” after traveling to Rome.
Trump later claimed that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was “very close” and urged Zelenskyy to “get it done” via Truth Social. Before leaving Washington, Trump spoke warmly of Pope Francis, but once in Rome, his focus seemed to shift to political meetings and trade talks, adding another layer of complexity to an already emotional event.
