French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hosted three-way talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US president-elect Donald Trump in Paris on the sidelines of the Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony amid concerns over US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia under a Trump presidency.
Ahead of the Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony, French President Emmanuel Macron held a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US president-elect Donald Trump in Paris on a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems.
READ MOREWorld leaders attend Notre-Dame reopening ceremony
Zelensky and European leaders have been concerned that Trump, who takes office next month, could withdraw US military aid to Ukraine at a crucial juncture in Kyiv’s battle to repel Russia.
The Ukrainian president said the trilateral meeting was “good and productive” and that the three leaders agreed to continue working together.
“President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X. “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way.”
I had a good and productive trilateral meeting with President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron at the Élysée Palace.
President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him. I also extend my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.
We all want… pic.twitter.com/eKMtuhp2ZI
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 7, 2024
In a message posted on X after the meeting, Macron called on Trump and Zelensky to “continue our joint efforts for peace and security”.
United States, Ukraine, and France. Together on this historic day. Gathered for Notre-Dame. Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security. pic.twitter.com/hEYGEklihT
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 7, 2024
‘The world is going a little crazy right now’
The trilateral on Saturday came shortly after Trump had a bilateral meeting with Macron at the Élysée presidential palace.
The two men embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with Trump given a full guard of honour.
“It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for talks with Macron.
Trump’s visit to France, part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire, came as Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favour and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s invasion.
Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with Macron, saying: “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot.”
As Trump arrived at the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, posing for multiple handshakes interspersed with plenty of back-patting. Trump said it was “a great honour” and talked about the “great relationship” they share. A grand red carpet was rolled in the same way the French welcome sitting US presidents.
Macron told Trump it was “a great honour for French people to welcome you” for the Notre-Dame reopening ceremony five years after a major fire destroyed the historic cathedral.
“You were president at that time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction,” Macron added, speaking in English.
When he first took office in 2017, Trump’s ties with Macron – then also a fresh face on the world stage – began warmly despite their obvious political differences.
Their long and muscular handshakes – which saw each man seek to assert his superiority – became a light-hearted focus of attention before ties cooled, then soured, following disputes about climate change, trade and defence.
Meeting proposed by Macron
Zelensky arrived at the French presidential palace around 45 minutes after Trump.
The French presidential office said the three-way meeting was proposed by Macron and arranged shortly before Trump’s arrival. Trump has pledged to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kyiv about what terms may be laid out for any future negotiations.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation,” Macron’s office said, adding, “This is in no way exceptional, we’ve done it before.”
The red carpet treatment, however, was a sign of how eager both Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump’s favour and placate him even before he takes office.
Trump is known to revel in pomp and circumstance. One of his first trips as president his first term was to Paris, where Macron made him the the guest of honor at Bastille Day events. Trump later said he wanted to replicate the grand military parade back in the United States.
Democratic President Joe Biden was invited as was not attending the event. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling conflict and said first lady Jill Biden will represent the United States.
Questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO
In an effort to build trust with the incoming US administration, Zelensky’s top aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trump’s team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly, described the meetings as productive, but declined to disclose details.
Relations between France and the US during Trump’s first term began warmly enough but grew increasingly strained over time.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the US if France tried to tax American companies.
But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
When he accepted the invitation to travel to Paris, Trump said Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
More than 20 French government security agents were helping ensure Trump’s safety alongside the Secret Service, according to French national police. A special French police van provided anti-drone protection for Trump’s convoy.
Security was tighter than usual outside the US Embassy and other sites around Paris for the Notre-Dame reopening, where dozens of international VIPs were expected.
Last weekend, Trump announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Sources from: FRANCE24.COM