CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: One day away from Friday, five days away from April. Welcome to this March, 27 edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz working in Atlanta. U.S. president is working in Europe. Yesterday, President Obama met with European leaders in Brussels, Belgium, one of the stops on his weeklong trip through Europe and the Middle East.

Ukraine and Russia dominated the discussion. The president and several European leaders don`t like the fact that Russia recently annexed Crimea, a former part of Ukraine. That happened after Crimeans voted to become part of Russia. The U.S. supports Ukraine`s new government, opposes Russia`s move to annex Crimea and warns Russia not to annex any more of any other country.

From Brussels, President Obama is headed to Rome. The leader of the U.S. will meet with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest denomination of Christianity.

WOLIF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For more than 200 years, the politician behind the desk in the Office and the bishop seated on the throne of Peter have marked history together. On Thursday, President Obama and Pope Francis will open a new chapter at the Vatican. In 2009, President Obama brought his family to the Vatican for his meeting with Pope Benedict.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Sasha was still pretty young at the time. And they see the Sistine Chapel and they are going through these various chambers, and each time, you know, she`d see somebody dressed up in the clothan (ph), she`d say, is that the Pope? Is that the Pope? How about that guy over there? And they would say, no, no, you`ll know when it is finally the pope.

BLITZER: Joshua DuBois was President Obama`s director of faith, paste and neighborhood partnerships during his first term.

(on camera): So, you think there`s a little shift going on from the relationship with the former pope and the current pope?

JOSHUA DUBOIS, AUTHOR, THE PRESIDENT`S DEVOTIONAL: Well, I think they have a deep mutual concern for issues related to the poor, economic inequality and making sure that people can leave lives of dignity.

BLITZER: But there are differences and there are sensitive issues, in which these two men will disagree.

DUBOIS: President Obama is pro-choice, Pope Francis is pro-life. President Obama supports marriage equality, Pope Francis does not. However, these are the type of men who are not going to let disagreement on two issues, even those two very important issues prevent them from collaborating on many other things including addressing economic inequality in the United States and around the world.

BLITZER: The meeting also takes place while Catholic groups in the United States are fighting the administration in court over the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act. They say it violates their faith.

NEWT GINGRICH: Pope Francis is a very, very clever man. He`s pretty good at dealing with politicians. There are very, very big differences between the Obama administration secularism and where the pope is. But my guess is, though, I have a positive friendly meeting. This is - this is the pope who said - (INAUDIBLE) I want to love you and witness to you, not yell at you.

BLITZER: Like the history of meetings before between popes and presidents, there will be no shortage of topics when the doors close on their private meeting.