President-elect Trump outsmarted French President Emmanuel Macron during a tense photo-op handshake at a summit in Paris ahead of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, followed by Ukraine’s Volodymyr・President Zelenskiy also joined.
President Trump and President Macron met outside the Elysée Palace on Saturday, and the pair smiled and posed for photos among security guards as the president-elect shook the French leader’s hand.
The move is reminiscent of the long white fist the two men held during President Trump’s first term, when Macron was forced to lean into Trump, and the president-elect then took over. I let go and entered the building.
One commentator evaluated X, saying, “President Trump just left Macron with a single handshake.”
President Trump told reporters that during his meeting with Macron, he would discuss a world that is “a little bit crazy.”
Despite tensions between the two sides during the Trump administration’s first term, Macron has repeatedly sought to demonstrate his close ties with his American counterpart by posing for photos and offering mutual support. did.
The French president rolled out the red carpet in a manner typically reserved for sitting U.S. presidents, French newspaper France 24 reported.
Later, Zelesnki joined the group and posed for a photo next to Macron and Trump, who looked visibly uncomfortable inside the Elysée Palace.
In the second photo, President Trump and President Zelesonki are seated, the former expressionless while President Macron places his hand on the Ukrainian leader’s arm. The French president gave President Zelensky a reassuring look.
President Trump landed at Orly Airport in Paris on Saturday at the invitation of Macron. The cathedral was damaged by a devastating fire in 2019. The exact cause of the fire is still not fully understood.
Ahead of the ceremony, President Trump praised French leaders, declaring that they had “done a great job, and an even greater job, in ensuring that Notre Dame was restored to its full level of glory.” It’s going to be a very special day for everyone! ”
A Kensington Palace spokesperson told British media that Prince William will also meet with First Lady Jill Biden, and is expected to focus on the importance of the US-UK relationship.
The three-way meeting will be the first face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Trump since Zelensky won the presidential election in November.
On the campaign trail, President Trump vowed to end the nearly three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by forcing a peace deal, and said on the campaign trail that Kiev’s dependence on U.S. weaponry meant the conflict would end. He claimed he could finish it in one day.
But Mr. Macron, Mr. Zelensky and other European leaders have tried to persuade the president-elect not to abandon support for Ukraine in the ongoing battle, and that he will eventually move to Kiev once he takes office in January. I hope that they will push for an end to the war that will be advantageous to them.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian delegation in Washington met with Congressman Mike Walz, the incoming national security adviser, and Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s pick to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine and Russia have been embroiled in a long-standing conflict, and President Trump promised on the campaign trail to quickly resolve the conflict.
President Trump famously soured relations with European leaders during his first term, frequently clashing over issues such as climate change and NATO funding contributions.
with post wire
