Trump and Zelensky hold a "very productive conversation" before Pope Francis' funeral.

BarcelonaOne of the most anticipated images of the Vatican ceremony this Saturday was that of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking face to face for the first time since the their controversial meeting at the White House in late February. The image has finally emerged after Pope Francis' funeral: a historic photograph taken just before the ceremony in which they appear seated face to face on two chairs inside St. Peter's Basilica. The meeting would have lasted fifteen minutes, and it was initially said that the two leaders would meet again this Saturday in Rome, but shortly before 2:00 p.m., Donald Trump had already boarded his plane to leave Italy.

Shortly after the photograph was made public, a 22-second recording also arrived showing the moment when the two leaders sat down to talk in the Baptistery Chapel of St. Peter's Basilica. In a display of Vatican diplomatic skill, two men in episcopal robes placed two chairs in the middle of the room to facilitate the private conversation between Trump and Zelensky. Just before sitting down, however, Trump and Zelensky are seen being approached by French President Emmanuel Macron, who shakes the Ukrainian's hand. Both listen to something the American president says, until the three are approached by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also greets them.

In a message on social media after the funeral, Zelensky himself stressed that his meeting with Trump had been "a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results." "Thank you, President Donald Trump!" concludes the Ukrainian president's message, where he calls for "a complete and unconditional ceasefire" and "a reliable and lasting peace that prevents a recurrence of war." A White House spokesperson had assured shortly before that "a very productive conversation" had taken place between the two leaders. The meeting came the day after Trump's draft proposal for peace negotiations was leaked, a plan that presents a much more acceptable scenario for Vladimir Putin than for Zelensky, since Russia would maintain control over all the territories it has occupied during the war.

But once he was en route to Washington, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social network to threaten Russia with "sanctions" and cast doubt on Putin's willingness to negotiate, following the Russian attacks of recent days that have left at least 12 dead in Kiev. "Putin had no reason to fire missiles at civilian areas, cities, or towns in recent days. It makes me think that perhaps he does not want to stop the war and that he should be treated differently," the US president wrote, a few hours after his meeting with the Ukrainian president at the Vatican.

Applause for Zelensky and calls for peace in Sant Pere Square

Zelensky was the only political leader to receive applause from the public upon his arrival in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, a sign of support for the Ukrainian people in this war that began three years ago with the Russian invasion of the country. The calls for peace and against "the pain of war," which Pope Francis himself made several times during his pontificate, were also prominent in the ceremony. The homily leader, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, recalled these calls from Francis and delivered a speech with a strong political message, highlighting the pontiff's advocacy of "building bridges, not walls," an allusion the Pope made several times to Donald Trump and which has brought Donald Trump and Peter together. References to Francis's fight for "migrants and refugees" were also applauded, with examples such as his first official trip to Lampedusa.

One of Pope Francis's last public audiences before his death was his meeting last Sunday with US Vice President JD Vance, who, despite being Catholic, had once criticized the pontiff for his criticism of Trump's immigration policy. A few hours after that meeting, Pope Francis died, and less than a week later, his funeral paved the way for a meeting with Zelensky that could advance the path toward peace in Ukraine that the pontiff had long called for.

After the funeral, Zelensky also met in Rome with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he discussed possible peace negotiations.

Trump and Macron make peace

At a time of heightened global tension, with armed conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, and a trade war fueled by Trump's tariffs, the funeral Mass offered several moments of relaxation and rapprochement, such as the sign of peace, one of the final steps in a Christian ceremony. With a handshake, Donald Trump and Macron made peace, as the US president did with other heads of state, such as King Felipe VI of Spain.

Pope Francis' funeral has become almost a political summit, with the presence of more than 130 government delegations from around the world, around fifty heads of state, and a dozen monarchs. The numbers were considerably higher than those for Pope Benedict XVI's funeral in 2023, but similar, and perhaps even slightly lower, than those for Pope John Paul II's farewell in 2005. Among the notable absentees this Saturday was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who likely wanted to avoid the order of the envelope. All the dignitaries were seated to the right of the pontiff's coffin, in front of St. Peter's Basilica, arranged in alphabetical order by the country's name in French.

Those closest to the coffin were Argentine President Javier Milei, representing Pope Francis's native country; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Mattarella, who also met with Zelensky, was in the second row, just behind Milei, with whom he embraced. Backstage at the ceremony, Trump also met briefly with outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to White House sources. Other leaders present, in addition to Macron and Starmer, included Prince William of England; European Council President António Costa; and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, among others. Among the general public, the presence of activist and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was also surprising. He attended the funeral with his wife, according to her own post on social media, to thank the pontiff for his support during his time in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.