PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with a full dose of presidential pomp as the two held a hastily arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy before celebrating the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
On a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems, the once and future American president was warmly embraced by Macron upon arriving at the Elysee Palace.
“It’s a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later,” Macron told Trump. “Welcome back again.”
“It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that,” Trump said.
An actual red carpet was rolled out for Trump as Macron bestowed the kind of full diplomatic welcome that France offers sitting American presidents, complete with trumpets blaring and members of the Republican Guard in full uniform. It was a clear sign that even though Trump doesn’t take office until Jan. 20, 2025, Macron and other European leaders are already working to win his favor and treating him as America’s representative on the world stage.
President Joe Biden declined an invitation to attend the Notre Dame ceremony, five years after a devastating fire, with the White House citing a scheduling conflict. First lady Jill Biden was the official U.S. representative in his place.
Macron and leaders across Europe are trying to persuade the president-elect to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Macron’s office said the war, along with conflicts in the Mideast, would be discussed.
As Trump arrived at the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, offering handshakes and plenty of back-patting for the cameras.
In a video posted later on X, Macron could be heard asking Trump: “You remember?” as both men entered a reception room.
“I remember,” Trump answered.
Trump spent about 90 minutes inside, meeting first with Macron before they were joined by Zelenskyy for about 35 minutes.
Macron had long planned to meet separately with Zelenskyy. The French president’s office said the three-way talks were 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.
A person familiar with Trump’s plans had said before the meeting was announced that while Trump and Zelenskyy were attending the cathedral ceremony and surrounding events and probably would interact, Trump’s transition team had not worked with the Ukrainians to schedule formal talks.
After the place meeting, a Trump senior transition official did not push back on the idea that it had come together at the last minute, but said it had been “discussed fully and agreed to” and that Trump had been “fully briefed” ahead of time.
The three leaders spoke in English, and translator was in the room, according to a French official.
Accompanying Trump to Paris was a small contingent of advisers that included incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles, along with Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend and real estate investor whom Trump has tapped as his special envoy to the Middle East, and Massad Boulos, who is the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany and will serve as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
The group did not appear to include anyone with expertise on Ukraine.
“United States, Ukraine and France. Together on this historic day. United for Notre-Dame. Let’s continue to work together for peace and security,” Macron wrote on X afterward.
Trump’s victory last month threw into doubt the Biden administration’s flow of money and arms to Ukraine — aid bolstered even more on Saturday by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s announcement of a $988 million package that brings American military support to more than $62 billion since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Trump has characterized Zelenskyy as “the greatest salesman on Earth” for winning billions in U.S. aid. Trump also has said he work out a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within a day of taking office and has promoted his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In an effort to build trust with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s top aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trump’s team on a two-day trip to the U.S. earlier this week.
Macron has argued that Ukraine’s defeat or a cease-fire with Russia on unfavorable terms to Ukraine would be viewed as a loss for the U.S. and even Trump himself, according to two European officials familiar with the matter.
After arriving at Notre Dame for the ceremony, Trump was greeted by Macron and his wife, Brigitte. He was given prime seating at the service right between them — a better location than Jill Biden, who sat on Brigitte Macron’s other side — and many current heads of government and state.
