French President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Ukrainian counterparts Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump on Saturday to discuss what the US president called a world “a little crazy”.
Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, just before the trio headed to Notre Dame for the grand reopening ceremony of the Paris cathedral, was his first face-to-face meeting with the tycoon-turned-politician since his election victory.
The meeting was of great importance to Zelensky given fears in Kiev that Trump, who once claimed he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, might urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. .
It gave Macron a unique opportunity to gain insight into how a second term presidency will shape up after Trump takes office in January, with the trip to Paris marking his first international trip since winning the election.
Trump and Macron hugged and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with Trump given a full guard of honor despite not yet being in office.
“It feels like the world is going a little crazy right now and we’re going to talk about it,” Trump told reporters as he prepared for talks with Macron.
Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump praised his relationship with the centrist French leader, saying: “As everyone knows, we had a very good relationship. We accomplished a lot.”
‘Remember solidarity’
Macron told Trump that “it is a great honor for the French people to welcome you” to the reopening ceremony at Notre Dame, which was devastated by a fire in 2019 during Trump’s first term.
“You were president at the time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction,” Macron said, speaking in English.
When he first took office in 2017, Trump’s relations with Macron – who was then a new face on the world stage – started out warm despite their obvious political differences.
Their long and meaty handshake – in which each man seemed to assert his superiority – became the focus of light-hearted attention before relations cooled and then soured after disputes about climate change, trade and defence.
They were expected to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as trade.
Trump previously wrote on his Truth social platform that the United States “should not get involved” in the situation in Syria, where rapidly advancing rebel forces say they have begun encircling the capital, Damascus.
The Republicans’ return to power has set off alarm bells in Paris and many European capitals, as during the campaign they promised to end the fighting in Ukraine, which could have prevented US military aid to Kiev.
Zelensky joined the talks about half an hour later, climbing the steps of the Elysee and posing for a photo with two other men.
The Ukrainian president, writing on social media, described the three-way meeting as “good and meaningful”.
“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a fair manner,” he said.
“Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security,” Macron wrote on social media in response to the discussions.
Zelensky’s spokesman Sergei Nykiforov told journalists that the meeting lasted about 35 minutes, with only the three leaders present.
Trump has mocked billions of dollars in US military aid to Ukraine and called for a quick resolution.
European allies have enjoyed largely close working relations with outgoing President Joe Biden over the crisis in the Middle East, but Trump is likely to distance himself and push the United States even closer to Israel.
In a sign of the importance of Trump’s one-day visit to Paris, he was accompanied by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wills, as well as his Near East and Middle East advisers, Steve Witkoff and Massad Boulos. A guest list released by the Elysee Palace.
Tesla tycoon and Trump adviser Elon Musk also flew into the French capital and is expected to arrive at Notre Dame later, French sources told AFP.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
