French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris in full presidential dignity on Saturday as he held a hastily scheduled meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky before celebrating the grand opening of Notre Dame Cathedral. I welcomed it.
On a day that mixed pageantry and focus on pressing global issues, the former and future American presidents were warmly embraced by Macron as they arrived at the Elysée Palace.
“It will be a great honor for the French people to welcome you in five years,” President Macron told President Trump. “Welcome again.”
President Trump said it was a “tremendous honor” to be able to attend, and hinted at the challenges ahead.
“It certainly seems like the world is a little crazy right now, and we’re going to talk about that,” President Trump said.
An actual red carpet was rolled out for President Trump, with Macron blowing a trumpet and greeting members of the uniformed Republican Guard, giving him the full diplomatic welcome France would give to a sitting American president. went. This comes as Macron and other European leaders have already won support from Trump to represent the United States on the world stage, even though Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20, 2025. It was a clear sign that they were working on it.
President Joe Biden declined an invitation to attend a ceremony at Notre Dame Cathedral to mark five years since the devastating fire, citing scheduling conflicts with the White House. First Lady Jill Biden replaced him as the official U.S. representative.
President Macron and other European leaders are trying to persuade the president-elect to maintain support for Ukraine to defend it against Russian aggression. Macron’s office said they would discuss war as well as the conflict in the Middle East.
When Trump arrived at the French presidential palace, Macron went out of his way to project an image of a close relationship, shaking hands with the cameras and giving plenty of pats on the back.
In a video later posted to X, Mr Macron can be heard asking Mr Trump: “Do you remember?” when two men entered the drawing room.
“I remember,” Trump replied.
Mr. Trump spent about 90 minutes indoors, first meeting with Mr. Macron and then being joined by Mr. Zelenskiy for about 35 minutes.
President Macron had long been planning to meet Zelenskiy separately. The French presidential palace said the tripartite talks were proposed by Macron and arranged just before Trump’s arrival. President Trump has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine but has not said how, raising concerns in Kiev about what terms will be offered in future negotiations.
A person familiar with Trump’s plans said that prior to the announcement of the meeting, Trump and Zelensky had attended a ceremony at the cathedral and other surrounding events and would likely interact, but that Trump’s transition team had not officially confirmed the meeting. It said it was not cooperating with the Ukrainian side to schedule further talks.
After the meeting, Trump’s top transition official did not deny the idea that a last-minute deal had been reached, but said the idea had been “fully discussed and agreed upon,” and that Trump had received “a thorough explanation” in advance. “I was receiving this,” he said. time.
French officials said the three leaders spoke in English and there was an interpreter in the room.
President Trump will be visiting Paris with a small group of advisors, including his incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend and real estate investor whom Trump selected as special envoy to the Middle East, and Massad Boulos. did. He is the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany and will serve as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern issues.
The group did not appear to include anyone with expertise in Ukraine.
“The United States, Ukraine and France. Together on this historic day. Unite for Notre Dame. Let us continue to work together for peace and security,” Macron later wrote to X.
President Trump’s victory last month raised questions about the Biden administration’s flow of funds and arms to Ukraine. Aid was further boosted on Saturday when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced a $988 million aid package. This brings U.S. military aid to more than $62 billion since the Russian invasion. February 2022.
President Trump has described Zelenskiy, who has secured billions of dollars in U.S. aid, as “the greatest salesman on the planet.” Trump also promoted good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he would finalize a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within his first day in office.
Paris’ iconic symbol of French Gothic architecture will reopen on Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a fire in 2019.
In an effort to build trust with the incoming US administration, Mr Zelensky’s aide Andrii Yermak met with key members of Mr Trump’s team during a two-day visit to the US earlier this week.
Mr. Macron has argued that a defeat for Ukraine, or a cease-fire with Russia on terms less favorable to Ukraine, would be seen as a loss for the United States and even Mr. Trump himself, according to two European officials familiar with the matter. are.
When President Trump arrived at Notre Dame Cathedral for the ceremony, he was greeted by President Macron and his wife Brigitte. He was given a better place at the service than Jill Biden, who sat opposite Brigitte Macron, and a privileged seat among many current heads of government and states.
Inside the hospital, President Trump greeted Zelensky as well as Britain’s Prince William, with whom he later met at the British ambassador’s residence in Paris. President Trump was greeted in the lobby, where he shook hands with the royal family and said, “He’s a good man, this guy.”
Seated in a private room reserved for dignitaries at the official residence, which was once the Paris residence of the youngest princess, Princess Pauline Borghese, Trump told reporters before the meeting that the crown prince was doing a “great job.” he said. Sister of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to the British royal family, Prince William was also scheduled to meet separately with Jill Biden.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and X who has spent significant time with Trump since the election and spent millions of dollars trying to elect him, was also in attendance at Notre Dame.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has focused on fostering ties with the president since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. But Macron’s office nevertheless downplayed the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not currently in government had been invited as well.
Macron’s office said Trump was invited as the next president of a “friendly country”, adding: “This is by no means an exception. We have done this before.”
Trump is known for enjoying pomp and circumstance. One of his first visits as president in his first term was to Paris, where Macron invited him as the guest of honor at a Bastille Day event. President Trump later said he wanted to repeat the large-scale military parade in the United States.
Relations between France and the United States during President Trump’s first term were initially warm enough, but became increasingly strained over time.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump has visited France several times. But relations soured after President Macron questioned the need for NATO and criticized President Trump for questioning U.S. commitment to the mutual defense pact.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron by imitating his accent, saying that if France were to impose taxes on American companies, he would impose heavy tariffs on bottles of wine and champagne shipped to the United States. threatened to impose charges.
But Macron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
In accepting the invitation to travel to Paris, Trump said Macron had “done an incredible job restoring Notre Dame to its full glory and beyond.” It’s going to be a very special day for everyone! ” Trump was president in 2019, when a fire nearly gutted the 861-year-old landmark.
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Gomez-Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hanna Ahirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Danika Kirka in London contributed to this report.
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