Newly elected President Donald Trump was warmly welcomed by the French President with all the grandeur of the presidency Emmanuel Macron On Saturday and he held an impromptu meeting with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, which included a focus on serious global problems as well as pageantry.
Trump, on his first international trip since being re-elected to the White House, flew to France to join world leaders and dignitaries to celebrate the renewal. Reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral Five years later a devastating fire destroyed the historic site.
Trump's visit to France comes as Macron and other European leaders are trying to curry favor with the president-elect and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's three-year invasion.
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Trump landed at Orly Airport in Paris on Saturday morning. According to the French National Police, more than 20 French government security agents, along with the Secret Service, helped ensure their security. Security is tighter than usual outside the US Embassy and other sites around Paris for the grand re-opening.
As Trump arrived at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, shaking hands several times and patting him on the back. Trump said it was “a great honor” and talked about their “great relationship.”
The lavish red carpet arrival is the same protocol the French use to welcome sitting US presidents. It was another sign of how eager Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump's favor and please him even before he takes office.
Before going inside, Trump said, “It certainly feels like the world is going a little crazy right now. And that's what we're going to talk about.”
Zelensky arrived at the palace about 45 minutes after Trump and was welcomed inside the cathedral.
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Macron had planned to meet with Zelensky, and the French president's office said the three-way meeting was proposed by Macron and held shortly before Trump's arrival. Trump has promised to swiftly end the war in Ukraine but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kiev about what conditions might be set for any future negotiations.
Details of the trilateral meeting were not immediately available.
Trump was given prime seating at the service, right between them — a better seat than First Lady Jill Biden, who sat on the other side of Brigitte Macron — and several current heads of government and state.
Earlier this week, Trump said he accepted the invitation Macron said the French president “has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame is restored to its full level of glory, and even more. It will be a very special day for everyone!”
Notre Dame damaged in fire On April 15, 2019, the rampage lasted for 12 hours and almost destroyed the 1,200-year-old iconic church. Although experts said at the time that reconstruction could take up to 40 years, Macron vowed to rebuild in five years.
“The decision to rebuild Notre Dame was about our ability to save, restore, and sometimes reinvent ourselves by preserving where we came from.” Macron told 60 Minutes“It's a message of achievement.”
Macron, who has had a checkered relationship with Trump, has attempted to build rapport with the president-elect since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris last month. But his office still played down the significance of the invitation, saying that other politicians who are not currently in office have also been invited.
President Biden was also invited but will not attend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling conflict and said Jill Biden would represent the US instead.
Trump and the US First Lady last met each other shortly after the election, when they visited the White House for the traditional meeting between the outgoing and incoming presidents.
Inside Notre Dame, Trump also welcomed Britain's Prince William, whom Trump later met at the British ambassador's residence in Paris. Trump was welcomed into the lobby, shook hands with the royal family and said, “Nice guy, this one.”
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Trump told reporters the Prince of Wales was doing a “fantastic job” before the two sat and talked in a private room reserved for high-profile people, including the youngest Princess Pauline Borghese of Paris. Used to be a house. Sister of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to the British royal palace, Prince William was also scheduled to meet separately with Jill Biden.
Relations between France and the United States began warmly during Trump's first term but became strained over time.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump's first state dinner and Trump visited France several times. But the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and casting doubt on America's commitment to the mutual defense pact.
On the campaign trail this year, Trump frequently mocked Macron, mimicking his tone and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies. Will be installed.
But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
Last weekend, Trump announced that he intends To nominate his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, as ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.