Von der Leyen, Trump agree to formal meeting after brief exchange at Vatican

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump finally came face-to-face on April 26 in Rome, setting the stage for a formal meeting in the near future.

According to a video published by the Italian daily La Stampa, Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania and other world leaders, shook hands with von der Leyen and exchanged a few words in a short, cordial conversation on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in St. Peter’s Square. This marked their first in-person contact since Trump’s return to the White House for his second term in January.

La presidente della Commissione europea, Ursula von der Leyen, e il presidente americano, Donald Trump, si sono stretti la mano e hanno avuto un breve scambio sul sagrato di piazza San Pietro prima dell'avvio della cerimonia funebre per l’ultimo saluto a Papa Francesco… pic.twitter.com/VAZoQMalyJ

— La Stampa (@LaStampa) April 26, 2025

Senior Commission officials had been trying for months to organise a bilateral meeting between von der Leyen and Trump, but previous efforts had been unsuccessful. Saturday’s brief exchange broke the impasse.

"In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet," a European Commission spokesperson confirmed on April 26.

The spokesperson emphasised that a full discussion between the two leaders would occur later and not in Rome.

Ahead of von der Leyen's trip to Italy, Commission officials had indicated their readiness to capitalize on any opportunity to speak with Trump. A spokesperson had stated that if "opportunities arise" for a meeting, they would be "seized."

The encounter comes amid a delicate period in transatlantic relations. Recently, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, was snubbed during a visit to Washington DC, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled their scheduled meeting due to "last-minute scheduling issues," according to Rubio's team.

The funeral of Pope Francis has brought a large number of global leaders to Rome, creating unexpected opportunities for informal diplomatic interactions.

Earlier the same day, Trump also met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — their first meeting since a tense exchange in the White House Oval Office back in February.

Following their encounter, Zelenskyy described the discussion as "good" and expressed optimism about its potential significance.

“A good meeting. Managed to discuss a lot of things one-on-one. A very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve common results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel.

During the conversation, Zelenskyy and Trump addressed critical topics, including the prospects for a "complete and unconditional" ceasefire, the protection of human lives, and the establishment of a reliable and lasting peace aimed at preventing future military conflict. Zelenskyy voiced hope that their dialogue would produce tangible outcomes.

The meetings come as Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent days that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is close at hand. Upon arriving in Rome, Trump told reporters that Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to reaching a resolution — a statement following a recent high-level meeting between Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described as “constructive and very useful.”

By Tamilla Hasanova