Trump’s 14 Hours in Rome : Fleeting Encounters Amid Global Discord

President Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders during his brief visit to Italy, where they paid their respects Pope Francis, were being keenly observed.

(Trump’s 14 Hours in Rome marked a quick trip into Europe, a continent he has strained in recent months, as he attended Pope Francis’ funeral and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a pivotal juncture that could determine the nation’s borders and future. Mr. Trump spent almost 14 hours in Rome before departing right away following the pope’s ceremonies in St. Peter’s Square. He barely stopped to greet or shake hands with a few of the presidents, prime ministers, royals, and religious leaders who attended the event.)

This weekend, President Trump made a quick trip into Europe, a continent he has shattered in recent months, to attend Pope Francis’ funeral and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a pivotal juncture that could determine the nation’s borders and future.

Mr. Trump spent almost 14 hours in Rome before departing right away following the pope’s ceremonies in St. Peter’s Square. He barely stopped to greet or shake hands with a few of the presidents, prime ministers, royals, and religious leaders who attended the event.

It was a stunningly quick turnaround for a new president’s first foreign trip, leaving little time to address his tariffs on the European Union, his move to normalize relations with Russia, or his demand that Europeans shoulder a greater share of the burden of their own defense.

Mr. Trump expressed his desire to return to his New Jersey golf property before the end of the day to his advisors.

Diplomatic tea-leaf reading was made possible by the funeral’s pomp, which included dignitaries’ seating and a point during the service when global leaders united in handshakes of peace. The 15-minute meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky, however, was encircled by its own mystery and meaning.

According to photos of the encounter made public by Ukraine, the two men were seated in padded metal chairs inside St. Peter’s Basilica, engaged in a lengthy chat while they awaited the start of the services. An unexpected encounter between two individuals who have openly expressed their intense distaste and mistrust for one another was an amazing sight.

It was their first time together since their heated meeting in the Oval Office in late February, which culminated in a heated debate on television over Mr. Trump’s shift away from Kyiv and toward a new alliance with Russia. An economic cooperation agreement remained unsigned, Mr. Zelensky’s lunch remained uneaten, and he was instructed to depart the White House.

Stephen Cheung, a White House spokesperson, described Saturday’s meeting at the burial as a “very productive discussion,” although he provided no other information. Mr. Zelensky subsequently wrote on X that the brief conversation was a “good meeting” and that the two talked about “a lot one on one,” including security assurances to ensure that Russia doesn’t take advantage of a cease-fire to re-arm and launch an attack.

Despite a Ukrainian spokeswoman suggesting that more negotiations will take place in Rome on Saturday, Mr. Trump left quickly. The spokesperson then stated that a second meeting would not take place due to the “very tight schedules of the presidents” after Mr. Trump boarded Air Force One to depart.

The brief encounter took place as Mr. Trump attempted to persuade Mr. Zelensky and President Vladimir V. Putin to engage in direct negotiations in an effort to settle the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

After arriving in Rome late Friday, Mr. Trump said on Truth Social, “They are very close to a deal.” “To ‘finish it off,’ the two parties should now meet at a very high level.”

However, Russia claimed to have retaken a last settlement in Kursk, the Russian region that Ukraine occupied last summer, in part to increase its bargaining power as Mr. Zelensky arrived in Rome. Ukraine rejected the complete withdrawal of its military.

The United States offered Ukraine a cease-fire plan earlier this week that would effectively grant Russia de facto authority over all the territories it has unlawfully taken since the start of the invasion three years ago. In a significant change of US policy, the plan also calls for the formal US acknowledgment that the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, is now Russian territory.

Last week, Mr. Zelensky declared that Ukraine would never agree to it. However, according to Ukrainian officials, Putin brought a counterproposal to Rome that would put an end to the war on terms much less favorable to Russia and contain billions of euros in reparations for Ukraine that would be covered by Russia. However, the counteroffer delays the consideration of territorial concerns until after a cease-fire and does not address whether Ukraine will completely reclaim Crimea or other land that Russia has occupied.

Several of Mr. Putin’s demands, such as a drastic reduction in the strength of Ukraine’s military, are not met by either plan.

On his way home, Mr. Trump issued a long statement in which he blamed his predecessors, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama, who had been seated four rows behind him at the burial, for some of Ukraine’s predicament. He wrote, “This is not my war, it’s Sleepy Joe Biden’s.”

He chastised the head of Russia as well. He stated, “Putin had no justification for firing missiles into towns, cities, and civilian areas in recent days.” “It leads me to believe that perhaps he is merely dragging me along and has no intention of stopping the war.” In the post, Mr. Trump also threatened to impose further penalties on Russia.

According to Mr. Zelensky’s account of the meeting, he had taken away from his experience in the Oval Office the following lesson: Always express thanks, even when there are still a lot of points of contention.

“Very symbolic meeting that, if we achieve joint results, has the potential to become historic,” he wrote. He concluded by saying, “Thank you @POTUS.”

A “full and unconditional ceasefire” and a “reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out” were among the topics discussed, he wrote. The next point was significant: Mr. Trump’s plan merely provides nebulous security assurances for Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian plan, the United States would support a European peacekeeping mission.

Mr. Zelensky also had meetings with other leaders, such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Mr. Macron said that Mr. Zelensky was “ready for an unconditional ceasefire” in a post on X that featured a picture of him strolling with the Ukrainian leader. Ms. Meloni and Mr. Starmer’s offices stressed Mr. Zelensky’s intention to “secure a just and lasting peace.”

Mr. Trump had stated after his inauguration that he planned to travel to the Middle East for his first foreign trip this year, beginning with Saudi Arabia, which he had visited for the first time during his first term in office.

Rather, his first journey ended up in Italy at the burial, where he was surrounded by European politicians he has been criticizing as freeloaders who are unwilling to contribute to the continent’s security, as well as leaders of the European Union, which he said was “formed in order to screw the United States.”

Pope Francis’ harsh criticism of the Trump administration’s strategy of mass deportations of migrants was brought to light by the service itself.

One of the pontiff’s several “gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons” was his visit to the Mexican-American border, which Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re mentioned during the sermon.

The encounter between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky at the burial had an air of comedy. At first, the pope found it difficult to reconcile his desire to avoid openly siding with any side of the conflict with his solidarity for what he called “martyred Ukraine.” He made reference to a covert “mission” to bring peace to Ukraine in 2023, but it was unsuccessful. Any steps toward peace would have been welcomed by the pope, who in his penultimate Christmas speech urged for “the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation.”

The encounter between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky at the burial had an air of comedy. At first, the pope found it difficult to reconcile his desire to avoid openly siding with any side of the conflict with his solidarity for what he called “martyred Ukraine.” He made reference to a covert “mission” to bring peace to Ukraine in 2023, but it was unsuccessful. Any steps toward peace would have been welcomed by the pope, who in his penultimate Christmas speech urged for “the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation.”

At a time of transatlantic strife, every handshake and discussion between Mr. Trump and his opponents was analyzed for political meaning in the absence of more substantive encounters. A few chairs down from him, he welcomed briefly Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. Ms. von der Leyen has been noticeably missing from the leaders’ visits to the White House during the last three months.

Before the services started, he had a quick conversation with Mr. Macron, Mr. Zelensky, and Mr. Starmer.

The office of Ms. Meloni, who is acquainted with Mr. Trump, published pictures of him holding her shoulder and her strolling behind Mr. and Mrs. Trump, seemingly talking, inside St. Peter’s Basilica. The White House and Ms. Meloni’s office did not issue any announcements indicating that meaningful discussions were held.

Reports were provided by Emma Bubola and Josephine de La Bruyère from Rome; Stephen Castle from London; Ségolène Le Stradic from Paris; and Maria Varenikova from Kyiv.