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Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Saturday, the first time since the American leader’s re-election, in a diplomatic coup for French President Emmanuel Macron.
The trip to France marks Trump’s return to the world stage for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, as Europe prepares for the incoming US administration to take a tougher, more transactional approach to transatlantic relations.
The event, which attracted some 50 world leaders, comes at a defining moment for Europe as Trump warns of punitive tariffs and calls for a swift end to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Macron sought to discuss pressing issues during the two-day event, meeting with Trump on Saturday afternoon at the Elysee Palace before talks with Zelensky. The three leaders then held a meeting before the re-opening service at the cathedral.
“The United States, Ukraine and France. Together on this historic day. Gathered for Notre-Dame. Let’s continue our joint efforts for peace and security,” Macron wrote on the X above a photo of the three leaders at the Elysee Palace.
Zelenskyy said the trilateral meeting was “good and productive”.
“President Trump is determined, as always,” he wrote on X.
“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We talked about our people, the situation on the ground and just peace,” he added.
The Ukrainian leader was applauded by the crowd as he entered Notre Dame on Saturday night.
With Ukraine heavily dependent on US weapons to fight Russia, Zelenskyy lobbied Trump not to abandon their cause or force them to accept unfavorable peace terms.
The facilitation of the informal meeting is a diplomatic victory for Macron, who has retreated domestically since losing parliamentary elections over the summer and having his own prime minister elected. demolished this week.
“This will be a high-level diplomatic moment for bonding and for leaders to try to gather clues about what Trump will do when he takes office,” said Patrick Martin-Genier, a professor of international affairs at Sciences Po.
European leaders, many of whom feared Trump’s return, now began courting him.
“The world seems to be going a little crazy right now and we’re going to talk about that,” Trump said before facing Macron one-on-one. “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We have achieved a lot.”
ReopeningNotre-Dame is a triumph for Macron, who has pushed for the cathedral, which was nearly destroyed by fire in 2019, to be repaired within five years.
Macron hopes to use his experience as one of the few European leaders in office during Trump’s first term to deal with the unpredictable president-elect.
During Trump’s first term, Macron used flattery and pomp to ingratiate himself with the US president and invite him to the Bastille Day military parade, sparking a short-lived friendship that broke down through American tariffs on French goods such as cognac.
Trump’s entourage on Saturday included multi-billionaire Elon Musk, Steve Witkoff, the special envoy who recently led Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel and Qatar, and Massad Boulos, the adviser responsible for maintaining a US-French-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon. He is also the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany.
Trump named another last week family connection to serve as the US Ambassador to France: Charles Kushner, a real estate developer who is the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
About 3,000 visitors, including the Prince of Wales and the presidents of Germany and Italy, will be among the first to witness the bright new interiors that have erased all traces of the fire.
Billionaire donors who contributed more than half of the 800 million euro renovation budget were also present, such as Bernard Arnault, head of luxury giant LVMH, and François-Henri Pinault, who heads Kering, the owner of Gucci.
The Gothic masterpiece of Notre-Dame will officially reopen as a place of worship when the Archbishop of Paris knocks on its tall wooden doors and enters in procession to the altar.
