US President Donald Trump departed today for Rome, where he and his wife Melania will attend the funeral of Pope Francis tomorrow, alongside leaders from around the world — many of whom Trump has sharply criticized in trade and diplomatic matters since January.
The American president is expected to arrive in the Italian capital around 10:50 p.m. local time.
“We will meet with many foreign leaders” on the sidelines of the funeral, Trump told reporters before leaving the White House, without specifying who he intends to meet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he “would like” to meet with Trump at the Vatican. Last week, however, Trump accused Zelensky of sabotaging future peace negotiations with Russia.
Originally, Trump’s first international trip of his new term was scheduled to be to Saudi Arabia, as it had been during his first presidency (2017–2021), but the passing of Pope Francis led to a change of plans.
The Republican billionaire, who identifies himself as a Christian “without a religious denomination,” ordered flags on public buildings across the United States to fly at half-mast in honor of the late Argentine pontiff, who had previously criticized Trump’s immigration policies.
Today, speaking of Pope Francis, Trump described him as “a good man” and as “a fantastic kind of a guy” who “loved the world.”
Source: ANA-MPA, Tranlsated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
