By James Halpin
DONALD Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have been joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris.
Trump met Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris today as he attends the opening of Notre Dame.
President Zelensky joined Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron ahead of the reopening ceremony[/caption]
Macron and Trump embrace as they met at the Elysee Palace[/caption]
The trip to Paris marks Trump’s first outside of the US since his election last month[/caption]
Trump grabbed Macron’s hand with a vice-like handshake[/caption]
The pair were quickly joined by the Ukrainian leader after Trump vowed to swiftly bring an end to the war.
Top Ukrainian officials have helped high level talks with the incoming President over the past few weeks to get a peace plan in place for when he comes into office.
Trump and Macron greeted each other with a bizarre power handshake.
Trump is also set to meet Prince William where they will discuss the importance of the US-UK’s ‘special relationship’, Kensington Palace has announced.
The incoming president wrote when he accepted the invitation that Macron 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!”
In his first foreign trip since his election win, Trump touched down at Orly airport in the south of Paris on a private plane just before 7am, a source told AFP.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris last month.
But on Saturday, the returning President said that he had “enjoyed a great relationship” with Macron in his first term and that they were already preparing to hold discussions about geopolitics.
“We have a good time together, and we had a lot of success, really great success working together,” Trump said while standing alongside his French counterpart.
“It certainly seemed like the world is going a little crazy right not. And we’ll be talking about that,” he added before the pair headed off into bilateral talks.
With dozens of guests present, Notre Dame’s reopening after the 2019 blaze will include the ritualised opening of the cathedral’s massive doors, the reawakening of its organ, and the celebration of the first Mass.
Macron toured the fully restored 861-year-old church last week as cameras were allowed in for the first time after the rebuilding project.
The extensive restoration took more than 60 months and cost a whopping £600million to rebuild the spires and roof that were destroyed in the blaze.
But, with so many world leaders gathering for the event, it is set to also be the location where diplomatic alliances and conversations will be played out.
The representatives of over 50 countries are expected to attend the reopening.
As well as meeting with Macron and Prince William, it is possible Trump could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who will also be in attendance.
But, no official meeting between the pair has been confirmed.
Any engagement between the pair will be closely watched by other world leaders after Trump has repeatedly vowed to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine though he has not said how.
The pair stood for a photo ahead of the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral[/caption]
The pair hugged as they met[/caption]
French President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump shake hands as they meet in Paris today[/caption]
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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Source: The Sun
Category: News, World News
