Rome – Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and U.S. President Donald Trump held a brief exchange on Saturday in Rome, where both attended the funeral of Pope Francis.
According to a statement from European Commission spokesperson Paula Pihno, “President Von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet,” though she did not disclose when or where the meeting would occur.
The handshake and exchange took place during the funeral at St. Peter’s Square, marking the leaders’ first interaction since Trump’s re-election, amidst ongoing tensions from the trade war initiated by the U.S. leader.
Von der Leyen commented on social media, “Today, leaders from around the world gathered to pay their final tribute to His Holiness Pope Francis. I had good exchanges with several of them.” While she did not mention Trump specifically, she shared a photo that included him, among other leaders.
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