The Vatican changed the protocol hours before the funeral and Trump was placed in the front row

There were last minute changes at Pope Francis’s funeral in the seats of world leaders. Contrary to the expected, the US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania They occupied a seat in the front row. To the right of the American president was the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, with the tenant of the Elysium, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife Brigitte beside him; On the left, the Estonian President, Alar Karis, next to King Felipe VI of Spain. Seat in the front row also for Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, sitting a little further from Trump. There is an explanation for this change of protocol. Presidents Donald Trump and Volodimir Zelensky held a brief but significant encounter in the Basilica of San Pedro, prior to the funerals of Pope Francis. According to the White House, it was “very productive” and lasted about 15 minutes. After paying tribute to the Pope, Trump met with Zelenski inside the basilica. Then, they went to the square one after another, accompanied by their wives, Melania and Olena. The Ukrainian president, dressed in black, instead of his usual military uniform, was applauded by the crowd in the Plaza de San Pedro. At the end of the funeral, the presidents Trump and Zelenki, and their companions, were the first to leave their seats.

Zelenski and Trump also briefly looked within the Basilica of San Pedro with French president Emanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer. The latter also met last night with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. The diplomatic efforts, in which Sarmer intervened, led to the programming of the Trump-Zelenski meeting and the change of the protocol for their seats at the funeral of Pope Francis. A change motivated to be practically the last to arrive and the first to leave. The order for delegations is governed by a strict protocol that gives priority to sovereigns (starting with those of Catholic countries), followed by the heads of state and government, in alphabetical order of the Francophone countries, with the exception of Trump and Zelenski. In the first row, to the left of the coffin, was the Italian delegation, headed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, with his daughter Laura, the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber, Ignazio La Russa and Lorenzo Fontana, the President of the Constitutional Court, Giovanni Amoroso, and the Minister of External Affairs, and the Minister of External Affairs, and the Minister of External Affairs. Immediately afterwards, the Argentine President, Javier Milei, accompanied by his sister Karina, secretary of the Presidency.