US President-elect Trump described Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “real live wire” following their encounter alongside other global leaders in Paris.
While spilling the tea about his interactions with international leaders and Meloni during his Notre Dame visit in Paris to New York Post, Trump shared that his interaction with the Italian leader at the Notre Dame Cathedral‘s reopening ceremony on Sunday was “great”, highlighting her enthusiastic demeanour.
“I was with her a lot,” Trump mentioned regarding Meloni, referencing their shared dining experience during a reception attended by 60 world leaders. “We got along great,” he further stated.
The President-elect noted that the assemblage of world leaders at the cathedral’s reopening comprised a “similar group” from his previous White House tenure four years prior. He expressed his aspiration that they could “straighten out the world a little bit.”
Meloni ascended to power in 2022, becoming Italy’s first female Prime Minister after Trump’s departure from office.
At 47 years old, she has established herself as a significant conservative influence in European politics, with surveys indicating she ranks among the region’s most favoured national leaders.
Trump meets Macron, says he is ‘good man’
He also spoke about his conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron about NATO. Trump emphasised the importance of fair financial contributions from member states.
“I said NATO is good as long as they pay their bills, but they gotta pay their bills, because you know, when I got involved with NATO nobody paid, and then they paid after I got involved,” the president elect explained.
“He agrees with me,” Trump said about Macron. “He’s a good man, he did a good job. I told him, ‘you have no idea how good a job you did’ on that chapel. That’s very hard to do. Painstaking.”
Trump shares brief interaction with first lady Jill Biden
Despite previous political disagreements, Trump described his interaction with first lady Jill Biden inside the cathedral as cordial.
“Very nice. She couldn’t have been nicer,” Trump remarked about their exchange. “It’s politics. You have to get used to it,” he said regarding their past conflicts. “She was very nice and we had a very nice conversation.”
‘Zelenskyy ready for peace’
In a conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump disclosed that Ukrainian President is ready for “peace.”
“He wants to make peace,” Trump told The New York Post via telephone. “That’s new.”
“He wants to have a ceasefire,” he continued. “He wants to make peace. We didn’t talk about the details. He thinks it’s time, and Putin should think its time because he’s lost — when you lose 700,000 people, it’s time. It’s not going to end until there’s a peace.”
‘Very handsome,’ ‘Good looking guy’
Donald Trump expressed admiration for Prince William following their encounter in Paris during the weekend, stating he had an excellent conversation with the heir to the British throne.
“He’s a good looking guy. He looked really, very handsome last night,” Trump exclusively shared with The Post.
“Some people look better in person? He looked great. He looked really nice, and I told him that,” he continued.
Trump and William convened on Saturday amongst global dignitaries who gathered in Paris to commemorate the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral, which had been damaged by fire in 2019.
Their conversation lasted nearly two hours in the Salon Jaune at the UK Ambassador’s Residence, where William appeared with his occasional beard. Trump wore a golden tie that coordinated with the room’s decor.
“I had a great talk with the prince,” Trump remarked.
Trump noted Prince William’s physical appearance, observing that he appears more striking in person than in photographs.
Their discussion included conversations about the recent health challenges faced by the Royal Family. Kate Middleton, William’s spouse, recently took a break from her royal responsibilities to undergo cancer treatment with chemotherapy, which she completed in September.
