United States (US) President Donald Trump is headed to Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Peak Newspaper Nigeria reports that the unexpected first foreign trip of his second term in which he will face foreign leaders including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump had a distant relationship with the late pontiff who did not hesitate to criticize him sharply on his signature policy of mass deportations of migrants.
However, Trump will not miss what is set to be a major diplomatic gathering in which some 50 heads of state including 10 reigning monarchs.
Among them will be Zelensky, in what will be the two leaders’ first time together in person since a disastrous White House meeting on February 28.
No meetings have been announced in Rome for Trump, who is due to stay only half a day in the Eternal City.
But Trump may find discomfort around some leaders around him, chief among them his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Biden is a devout Catholic and was close with Francis. He will travel independently to Rome, his office said, even though under protocol former presidents generally travel on Air Force One for funerals.
Trump has relentlessly attacked Biden and torn down his legacy in his nearly 100 days in office, with Biden in turn recently speaking out against Trump’s policies.
