Ahead of the Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony, the first trilateral meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump was held at the Elysee Palace in Paris today.
The meeting marks the first face-to-face conversation between Zelensky and Trump since his election victory, following a phone call on November 6.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Trump at the entrance to the Elysee Palace, highlighting the strong ties between the two leaders during Trump’s first term.
“It is a great honor for the French people to welcome you five years later. You were president when the cathedral burned, and I remember your solidarity and your immediate action,” Macron said.
Trump looked back on his cooperation with France to date and praised the French people.
“We have had a great relationship, as everyone knows, and we have achieved a lot together,” Trump said.
Trump also touched on global challenges, hinting at future talks with international partners.
“It certainly seems like the world is a little crazy right now, and we’ll talk about that,” Trump added.
Zelensky, meanwhile, arrived at the Elysee Palace to join Trump and Macron for a discussion on the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The trilateral meeting lasted just over 30 minutes, and details of the conversation have not yet been released.
Macron was originally scheduled to meet with each leader separately, but Zelensky expressed his desire to meet with Trump, France 24 reported.
Photo: The Sunday Times
