On an extraordinary day, one remarkable picture on the margins is being hailed as Pope Francis’ last gesture of peace that may become a turning point for the world.
In a corner of St Peter’s Basilica before the funeral of Pope Francis, the US and Ukrainian presidents sit facing each other, so close their hands almost touch.
Leaning forward, hands together in their laps, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky face each other in one photo, mirroring each other’s body language.
It is their first encounter since their infamous bust-up in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.
There has been so much bad blood between them since then, but the solemnity and uniqueness of Pope Francis’ funeral could prove a pivotal point for reconciliation and support for Ukraine.
We do not know what the two presidents said in their brief encounter but each president made a statement afterwards which indicated signs were encouraging.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump said in a social media post.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
Zelensky wrote: “Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about.”
He said those topics included: “The protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war.”
Zelenskyy added: “It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!”
Trump’s peace proposal includes only unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine from countries that do not include the US. It rules out any membership of NATO.
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