France Trump's return to the world stage - Ukraine meeting in Paris
A few weeks before his inauguration, US President-elect Donald Trump has returned to the world stage with a visit to France. French President Emmanuel Macron received the Republican at the Élysée Palace in Paris for bilateral talks. The two then met there with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi to discuss the future of the country under attack from Russia.
07.12.2024, 17:34
07.12.2024, 18:23
SDA
In the evening, Trump wanted to attend the ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral at Macron's invitation. It is his first trip abroad since winning the US presidential election at the beginning of November. Trump will be sworn in as president on January 20.
Red carpet before the inauguration
His visit to Paris coincides with a domestic political crisis in France, which is also putting Macron under considerable pressure. The French president rolled out the red carpet for the Republican and received him with some pomp at his official residence - which is unusual for a meeting with a colleague who has not yet been sworn in. The two shook hands several times as they greeted each other, hugged and posed for photos.
During Trump's first term in office, Macron had made a conspicuous effort to maintain a good relationship with the Republican - despite all their political differences of opinion. The Frenchman publicly staged himself as a strong European counterpart to the most powerful man in the world. Even after his re-election, Macron is now at the forefront when it comes to getting on good terms with Trump.
Macron said he was very happy to have Trump as a guest in Paris. Trump praised the relationship with France during his first years in government. "We had a good time together and we had a lot of success, really great success," said the Republican. "It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now, and we're going to talk about that," he added.
Talks on Ukraine
One of the crises is the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Trump used his visit to Paris to enter into talks about the conflict before his inauguration.
There is great fear in Ukraine that Trump could drastically reduce US military aid for the country attacked by Russia after his inauguration and thus hand Kiev a defeat. The United States is still Ukraine's most important supporter and largest arms supplier. There are also fears in many EU states that Trump could push through an unbalanced ceasefire arrangement that could effectively make Russia and Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin look like the winners of the war of aggression.
Trump regularly boasts about his good contacts with Putin. During the election campaign, he repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, preferably before he took office. He did not say how.
The Notre Dame celebrations
Trump also wanted to meet with Prince William, heir to the British throne, in Paris on the fringes of the Notre Dame opening. It was initially unclear whether Trump could use the visit for separate meetings with other heads of state and government who had traveled to Paris. US President Joe Biden, who is still in office, was not expected to attend the Notre Dame reopening - but his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, was. The opening ceremony on Saturday evening will also be attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Prince William, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and heads of state and government from other countries - including the kings of Morocco and Jordan, Mohammed VI and Abdullah II.
The cathedral was badly damaged in a fire five years ago and has since been renovated. For Macron, the reopening of the Parisian landmark is a highlight of his now seven-year term of office. When the president promised to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years after the catastrophic fire, many had thought this impossible. Macron is likely to see it as a special coup to receive the future US President at the nationally significant reopening ceremony.
The political crisis in France
However, Trump arrived in the middle of a political crisis in France, which has also put Macron in trouble. On Wednesday evening, the opposition toppled the center-right government of previous Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a dispute over an austerity budget. Since then, parts of the opposition have also been calling for Macron's resignation. Now the president wants to install a new prime minister in a rush, who will have to form a new government with the divided parties in parliament.
