Rome (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met U.S. President Donald Trump in Rome since his return to the White House for a second term.
World leaders have gathered in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral events in St. Peter’s Square, paving the way for informal dialogues.
A video shared by Italy’s daily La Stampa features Trump, alongside his wife Melania and other leaders, shaking hands with von der Leyen and engaging in a brief, friendly conversation amid the crowds at the Vatican.
What opportunity did von der Leyen seek in Rome?
For months, senior Commission officials have been attempting to arrange a complete bilateral meeting between von der Leyen and Trump, but to no avail. As of Saturday, the two had not held a formal meeting since Trump resumed the presidency in January.
Before von der Leyen’s visit to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral, a Commission spokesperson mentioned that they would “seize” any “opportunities that arise” to meet with Trump.
The EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, was recently rebuffed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during her visit to Washington DC. Rubio’s team stated that “last-minute scheduling issues” necessitated the cancellation of their meeting.
How is von der Leyen responding to global trade tensions?
A few days ago, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that countries are prepared to collaborate with trustworthy trade partners in Europe following the disruption of global markets caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s broad trade tariffs.
“In a more and more unpredictable global environment, countries are lining up to work with us,”
The Commission president said without naming Trump or the U.S.
The global order is
“shifting more deeply than at any time since the Cold War ended,”
Von der Leyen added.
On the other hand, throughout the week, Trump has reiterated his belief that he is nearing a deal with Russia to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Earlier Saturday, he met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, marking their first face-to-face meeting since a tense encounter in the Oval Office last February.
