President Donald Trump has joined the gathered mourners outside St Peter’s Basilica, having flown overnight to Italy for the funeral of Pope Francis.
World leaders have joined senior churchmen and crowds of the faithful in St Peter’s Square on Saturday morning ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis. U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania had a moment at the foot of the Pope’s coffin to pay respects as they arrived, the casket now having been sealed after days of St Peter’s being open to the public for viewing.
In all, some 200,000 people are expected to crowd the Vatican today for the funeral.
President Trump had flown overnight from Washington on Air Force One, touching down around midnight in Italy (1800 ET). Upon arriving in Europe, President Trump remained focus on political business, with the gathering of world leaders in Rome for the funeral likely to presage ad-hoc bilateral meetings including on the Ukraine peace process. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is not due to attend the funeral, but Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky is, and was shown to his seat shortly before President Trump.
It has been suggested the two would have an in-person meeting after the funeral in hope of smoothing over disagreements over how a peace deal would work, and whether one is even possible.
Writing on Truth Social, President Trump said last night: “Just landed in Rome. A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to “finish it off.” Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”.
