President Emmanuel Macron hosted trilateral discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, where they addressed global concerns that Trump described as a “little crazy”. The meeting, held at the Élysée Palace, focused on global affairs which Trump described as “a little crazy right now.”
At the French presidential palace, Trump received full military honours despite not being in office yet. Macron and Trump exchanged warm greetings with multiple handshakes.
“It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that,” Trump remarked before their discussion, as reported by AFP.
This marked Zelensky’s first in-person meeting with Trump since the US election, occurring before they attended Notre Dame cathedral’s reopening ceremony. This meeting held particular significance for Zelensky, considering apprehensions in Kyiv about Trump’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile,the Paris visit provided Macron an opportunity to understand the potential direction of Trump’s second presidency, commencing in January.
This was Trump’s first international engagement following his electoral victory. His delegation included key advisors Susie Wiles, Steve Witkoff, and Massad Boulos, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk expected to attend the Notre Dame ceremony.
Despite previous tensions, Trump highlighted his positive relationship with the French leader, stating, “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot.”
On the other hand, Macron expressed gratitude for Trump’s attendance at the Notre Dame reopening, recalling Trump’s supportive response to the 2019 cathedral fire during his presidency.
Their initial relationship in 2017 began positively, despite political differences, though it later deteriorated over disagreements regarding climate change, trade and defence matters.
The discussions encompassed the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, alongside trade relations. Trump had earlier expressed views against US involvement in Syria, where rebels report advancing towards Damascus.
Zelensky joined the meeting later, describing it as “good and productive” on social media, expressing hopes for a just conclusion to the conflict. Macron subsequently emphasised continuing joint peace and security efforts.
The 35-minute meeting included only the three leaders, according to Zelensky’s spokesman Sergiy Nykyforov.
