PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron achieved a diplomatic milestone Saturday, internet hosting the primary in-person assembly between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and United States President-elect Donald Trump since he gained the election this previous November.
Each Zelenskyy and Trump, in Paris alongside dozens of world leaders and luminaries for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, had initially been scheduled to fulfill Macron in two separate bilateral conferences.
The French presidency confirmed simply minutes earlier than the assembly passed off that every one three leaders would convene collectively for a trilateral discuss.
Trump’s election win final month sparked widespread concern in Europe about the way forward for U.S. help for Ukraine in its protection towards Russia. Trump and Zelenskyy had spoken over the telephone shortly after the race was known as.
The president-elect’s go to to Paris, his first journey overseas since profitable a second presidential time period, received off to a rocky begin as Trump arrived greater than 40 minutes late for his assembly with Macron and greeted the French president with a characteristically intense and awkward handshake.