President-elect Trump sat down with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Saturday’s reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
The trio met inside the Elysee Palace, with photos showing Trump expressionless as Macron placed his hand on the arm of a seated Zelensky. The French president appeared to give Zelensky a reassuring look.
Trump touched down in Paris Orly Airport Saturday at the invitation of Macron. The cathedral was damaged by a devastating fire in 2019. The exact cause of the blaze has never been fully determined.
In advance of the ceremony Trump praised the French leader, proclaiming that he 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!”
Prince William is also scheduled to meet with First Lady Jill Biden and is expected to focus on the importance of the US-UK relationship, a spokesman for Kensington Palace told British media.
The trilateral meeting is the first face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Trump since the latter’s presidential election win in November.
Trump had vowed to bring an end to the nearly three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by forcing a peace agreement, claiming on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict in one day owing to Kyiv’s reliance on US weaponry.
Macron, Zelensky and other European leaders, however, are hoping to convince the president-elect not to abandon support for Ukraine in the ongoing fight and push for an end to the war that ultimately favors Kyiv once he takes over the White House in January.
Earlier this week a Ukrainian delegation in Washington met with Rep. Mike Waltz the incoming national security advisor and Keith Kellogg, who Trump has named special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine and Russia have been embroiled in a years-long conflict, which Trump promised on the campaign trail he would bring to a speedy conclusion.
Trump had famously strained relationships with European leaders during his first term in office, frequently clashing with them over issues like climate change and their contributions to NATO financing.
With Post Wires
