French President Emmanuel Macron, middle left, and his spouse Brigitte Macron, third proper, go to the restored interiors of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Friday, Nov.29, 2024 in Paris.
Christophe Petit Tesson/AP
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Christophe Petit Tesson/AP
PARIS — Donald Trump is off on his first worldwide journey as president-elect, prepared to hitch world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating hearth in 2019.
Trump wrote when he accepted the invitation earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron had achieved “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!”
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made some extent of cultivating a relationship with the president-elect since he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris final month. However his workplace nonetheless performed down the importance of the invitation, saying that different politicians who don’t at present maintain workplace had been invited as effectively.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation,” Macron’s workplace mentioned, including, “This is in no way exceptional, we’ve done it before.”
President Joe Biden was invited as effectively however won’t attend. White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling battle and mentioned that the primary woman, Jill Biden, will as a substitute characterize the U.S.
Trump and the U.S. first woman final encountered each other shortly after the election, when he visited the White Home for the standard assembly between outgoing and incoming presidents.
Trump’s go to to France comes as Macron and different European leaders are attempting to domesticate the president-elect’s favor and persuade him to keep up assist for Ukraine in its protection towards Russia’s three-year invasion.
Forward of the Notre Dame occasion, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain’s Prince William — who’s additionally assembly with Jill Biden, in response to the British royal palace.
Macron will convene individually Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is not clear whether or not Trump will meet Zelenskyy, too. Trump has vowed to finish the warfare in Ukraine swiftly however has not specified how, elevating issues in Kyiv about what phrases could also be laid out for any future negotiations.
In an effort to construct belief with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s prime aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trump’s crew on a two-day journey earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as he was not licensed to talk publicly, described the conferences as productive, however declined to reveal particulars.
Relations between France and the U.S. throughout Trump’s first time period started warmly sufficient however grew more and more strained over time.
Macron was the visitor of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France a number of instances. However the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the necessity for NATO and elevating doubts about America’s dedication to the mutual protection pact.
On the marketing campaign path this 12 months, Trump usually mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American corporations.
However Macron was one of many first international leaders to congratulate Trump final month after the election.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” Macron posted on X. “Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Trump was president in 2019 when an enormous hearth engulfed Notre Dame, collapsing its spire and threatening to destroy one of many world’s best architectural treasures, identified for its mesmerizing stained glass.
“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote on what was then Twitter, providing his recommendation to the town.
“Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!” he wrote.
French officers appeared to reply shortly after, noting that “All means” have been getting used to extinguish the flames, “except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”
Final weekend, Trump introduced that he intends to appoint actual property developer Charles Kushner, the daddy of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to function ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious function embody Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
