In a notable departure from traditional protocol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a prominent front-row position at Pope Francis’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square, alongside other world leaders including Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, The Telegraph reports.
The Vatican made special arrangements to ensure Zelenskyy had a visible presence at the ceremony, breaking with the established diplomatic seating protocols that would typically have placed him much further back in the congregation.
Vatican protocols usually dictate that world leaders be seated in alphabetical order according to their country’s name in French, the traditional language of diplomacy. As president of Ukraine, Zelenskyy would normally have been positioned in the third row or further back.
When questioned about the breach of protocol, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told The Telegraph: “I believe they filled a vacant place.”
Zelenskyy, who arrived in Rome with his wife, Olena Zelenska, received a spontaneous round of applause as he took his seat. The Ukrainian leader’s presence comes amid expectations of a potential breakthrough in peace talks regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The seating arrangement placed Zelenskyy 11 seats away from Donald Trump, with leaders from India, Hungary, Gabon, Finland, and France positioned between them.
While the protocol was adjusted for Zelenskyy, other aspects of traditional seating arrangements were maintained. The Prince of Wales, representing King Charles, was seated in the third row next to outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife were also in attendance, as was former US President Joe Biden, who was in the fifth row.
The funeral brought together numerous world leaders, with strict protocol generally observed – Argentina’s President Javier Milei was seated at the far right of the front row. At the same time, Italy’s own leadership was divided according to protocol, with President Sergio Mattarella in the front row and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seated further back.
