PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with plenty of presidential pomp and held an impromptu meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on a day that mixed beauty pageants and attention to pressing global issues. Yes.
When Trump, the one-time and future US president, arrived at the Elysee Palace for a face-to-face meeting with Macron (which soon expanded to include Zelenskyy), he said the two would discuss a world that has gone “a little crazy.”
AP Photo/Aurélian Maurissard
President Trump’s visit to France is part of a global event marking the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after the devastating fire, as Macron and other European leaders seek to win Trump’s favor and maintain support for Ukraine in its defense. This was accomplished through persuasion. Russian invasion. Macron’s office said this issue, as well as the war in the Middle East, would be discussed.
When President Trump arrived at the French presidential residence, Macron tried to project an image of close ties, patting his back and shaking his hand several times. President Trump said it was a “great honor” and mentioned the “great relationship” the two had. A grand red carpet was rolled out, much in the same way that France welcomes American presidents.
“It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now,” Trump said before heading inside. And we will talk about it.”
President Zelenskyy arrived at the palace about 45 minutes after President Trump arrived.
President Macron planned a meeting with President Zelensky, and the French President’s Office said the three-way meeting was proposed by President Macron and arranged just before President Trump’s arrival. President Trump has pledged to quickly end the war in Ukraine but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kiev about what terms may be proposed in future negotiations.
Macron, who has maintained a friendly relationship with President Trump, announced his intention to deepen the relationship after the Republican Party’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris last month. However, Prime Minister Macron’s office downplayed the significance of the invitation, saying that other politicians who are not currently in public office were also invited.
Macron’s office said Trump had been invited as the president-elect of a “friendly country” and said: “This is by no means unusual. We’ve done it before.”
But the red carpet treatment was a sign of how eager Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump’s favor and appease him even before he takes office.
Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
Trump is known to enjoy pomp and circumstance. One of his first terms as president was a visit to Paris, where President Macron made him the guest of honor at the Bastille Day celebrations. Trump later said he wanted to recreate a large military parade in the United States.
Democratic President Joe Biden has also been invited but will not attend. White House press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said first lady Jill Biden would represent the United States, citing scheduling conflicts.
The meeting with the French president will be held ahead of the event at Notre Dame Cathedral, and Prince William is also scheduled to meet Jill Biden, according to the British royal family.
In an effort to build trust with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, met with key members of Trump’s team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, described the meeting as productive but gave no further details.
During Trump’s first term, relations between France and the United States started off warm enough but became increasingly strained over time.
Macron attended President Trump’s first state dinner as a guest of honor, and President Trump visited France several times. But relations have suffered since Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and casting doubt on America’s commitment to the mutual defense pact.
Trump frequently mocked Macron during his 2024 presidential campaign, mimicking his accent and threatening to impose high tariffs on bottles of wine and champagne shipped to the United States if France imposed taxes on American companies.
But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
Accepting an invitation to visit Paris, Trump said Macron had “done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame was restored to its full glory.” It will be a very special day for everyone!” A 2019 fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark.
More than 20 French government security agents worked with the Secret Service to help ensure Trump’s safety, according to French police. A special French police van provided anti-drone protection to Trump’s convoy.
Security was tighter than usual outside the U.S. embassy and other locations around Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, where dozens of international VIPs were expected.
Trump was president when a fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019 toppled the spire and threatened to destroy one of the world’s greatest architectural treasures, known for its fascinating stained glass.
He offered advice to Paris at the time, saying on Twitter, “It is so terrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.”
“We could probably use flying water tanks to put it out. “We must act quickly!” he wrote
In response, French officials said, “We extinguished the fire using all means except water bomb aircraft, which could cause the entire cathedral to collapse.”
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Last weekend, President Trump announced that he would nominate Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, to be ambassador to France. Predecessors of that prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Colin reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hanna Arhirova in Kiev, Ukraine, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
