French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed US President-elect Donald Trump at his Paris residence, the Elysee Palace. They were joined at the last minute by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before attending the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral.
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Macron organised a warm welcome for incoming US President Trump who was making his first overseas trip since winning the election last month.
The French leader extended an invite to Trump to engage in planned bilateral talks ahead of next month’s US presidential inauguration. “It certainly seems like the world is, going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that,” said Trump before the pair headed inside the palace and held a 90-minute closed door meeting.
Zelenskyy later arrived and was also received by Macron at the presidential palace. After a warm embrace and posing for photos, the French president escorted Zelenskyy inside where he joined the meeting with Trump and spoke about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to media as he walked out of the Elysee Palace, Zelenskyy said the meeting with his French counterpart and Trump was “constructive”.
In a post to his official Telegram channel, the Ukrainian leader praised the US President-elect, thanking him for being “resolute as always.” He continued saying he explained the situation on the ground to Trump and stressed his desire to end the war on his country as quickly and as fairly as possible, noting Ukraine’s desire to achieve a “just peace.”
Zelenskyy thanked Macron for the warm hospitality and arranging the meeting in Paris and pledged to continue working with Ukraine’s western allies in the weeks to come.
Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the meeting on his social media platforms, opting to keep a tight lip for the time being.
There has also been no official statement following the trilateral talks from the French Presidency.
Why is Trump holding bilateral talks before he is even inaugurated?
Trump is set to reoccupy the Oval Office on the 20th of January after defeating Democrat candidate and sitting US Vice President Kamala Harris in last month’s US presidential race. The former US president clinched a decisive win over Harris, winning both the electoral college (312-226) and the popular vote in what was labelled one of the most important US elections in recent history.
And with more than a month and a half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term as President of the United States, Trump has been moving aggressively to return to the global stage.
In his campaign trail, Trump outlined many objectives and policy goals, some which he claims he would deliver on his very first day on the job, and the former president is looking to achieve those priorities.
Trump has previously said his second term will not be a dictatorship, “except on the first day.” Trump has previously said he can end the war in Ukraine within 24-hours of taking office; though he has never commented on how he plans to achieve that. He’s also said he would pardon people arrested in the 6 January 2021 Capitol Hill riots, as well as kickstart the largest mass deportation operation in US history.
Late last month, Trump also announced he will impose a blanket 25% import tariff on goods coming in from Canada and Mexico. He said his plan will stay in place until both countries address pressing concerns, like the flow of drugs; particularly fentanyl, and illegal immigrants.
Trump’s tariff threat prompted Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make a surprise visit to Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago estate to discuss the escalation.
More recently, Trump’s transition team has also recently sent a proposal to several Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, to take in expelled migrants.
With just over a month and a half to go until Trump’s inauguration, analysts say the former president is using this time to make threats, travel, negotiate and give his administration a competitive edge. Trump is also fond of presenting himself as a dominant figure, and has repeatedly criticised President Biden for being weak, in turn diminishing respect for the US internationally.
Why is Macron interested in rekindling ties with Trump?
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 have had. A grand red carpet was rolled in the same way the French welcome sitting American presidents.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship since the Republican's victory. But Macron's office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not now in office had been invited as well.
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 assumes the presidency.
Trump is known to revel in pomp and circumstance. One of his first trips as president in his first term was to Paris, where Macron made him the guest of honour at Bastille Day events.
The two leaders have always had a rocky relationship. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump mocked Macron several times, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on French wine, champagne and luxury goods imported into the US if France tries to tax American companies.
Macron was one of the first global leaders however to congratulate Trump last month after his election victory.
Trump even complimented Macron upon accepting his invitation to attend the re-opening of the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, as the pair appear to be looking to set up smooth co-operative relations.
Trump relaxing hardline views on US support to Ukraine?
Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting in Paris is the first since the former’s win in last month’s election.
They’ve both publicly criticised one another numerous times and their differences looked irreconcilable.
Trump has previously called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman on earth,” taking a jab at the Ukrainian leader’s official trips meant to bolster support for his country fending off Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy has also lashed back saying Trump “doesn’t really know how to stop the war,” and slammed his running mate JD Vance for suggesting Ukraine should cede territory to Russia to end the fighting, labelling him “dangerous” and “too radical”.
A surprise meeting in late September in Trump’s New York residence as Zelenskyy toured the US upon the invitation of Joe Biden, appeared to correct the course of their ties.
Following their first face-to-face meeting, Trump, who’s been vocally critical of US funding and military support for Ukraine in his campaign trail, said he learned a lot from Zelenskyy.
On Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also hinted at a potential optimistic turn in Trump’s views, after he said in an interview with German media that following a phone call “he’s confident he will be able to agree with Trump on a joint strategy for Ukraine.”
Nevertheless, as things stand, the Biden administration is still fully committed to supporting Ukraine. Following Paris’ trilateral meeting, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a nearly $1 billion (€945 million) military aid package to Ukraine, as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money it has to give Kyiv a competitive advantage before Trump’s takeover next month.
They’ve also approved an additional $725 million (€685 million) in US military assistance, which includes counter-drone systems and HIMARS munitions. This latest package brings total US military aid to Ukraine to more than $62 billion (€59 billion) since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.