Trump in Paris to reopen Notre Dame Cathedral, meets with Macron and Zelensky

President-elect Donald Trump received a warm welcome from French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday with a full dose of presidential pomp and an impromptu meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global issues.

Trump traveled to France on his first international trip since being re-elected to the White House to celebrate the renovation with world leaders and dignitaries Reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral Five years after a devastating fire destroyed the landmark.

Trump’s visit to France also comes as Macron and other European leaders are trying to win the president-elect’s favor and persuade him to continue supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s three-year-old invasion.

Trump landed at Paris Orly Airport on Saturday morning. According to the French National Police, more than 20 French government security officers, in addition to the secret service, helped ensure his safety. In front of the US Embassy and other places around Paris, security precautions for the grandiose reopening are stricter than usual.

As Trump arrived at the Elysee Palace, the French president’s official residence, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, posing for several handshakes punctuated with plenty of pats on the back. Trump said it was “a great honor” and spoke of the “great relationship” they had.

The grand red carpet arrival is the same protocol the French use to greet sitting American presidents. It was another sign of how eager Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump’s favor and appease him even before he takes office.

Before they went in, Trump said: “It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And that’s what we’re going to talk about.”

Zelensky arrived at the palace about 45 minutes after Trump.

Macron had planned a meeting with Zelensky, and the French president’s office said the three-way meeting was suggested by Macron and arranged shortly before Trump’s arrival. Trump has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine but has not specified how he would do that, raising concerns in Kiev about what terms might be set for future negotiations.

Details of the trilateral meeting were not immediately available.

Earlier this week, Trump said he had accepted an invitation by Macron, who said the French president had “done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame is back to its full glory and even more so. It will be a very special day for everyone!”

Notre Dame was damaged in a fire This raged for twelve hours on April 15, 2019 and almost destroyed the famous 1,200-year-old church. Although experts said at the time that the restoration could take up to 40 years, Macron promised to rebuild in five years.

“The decision to rebuild Notre Dame was about our ability to save, restore and sometimes reinvent who we are by preserving our heritage.” Macron told 60 Minutes. “This is a message of success.”

Macron, whose relationship with Trump has been up and down, has made it a priority to maintain a relationship with the president-elect since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris last month. Still, his office downplayed the significance of the invitation, saying that other politicians who are not currently in office had also been invited.

President Joe Biden was also invited but will not attend. Citing a scheduling conflict, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said first lady Jill Biden would represent the U.S. instead

Trump and the first lady of the United States last met shortly after the election, when he visited the White House for the traditional meeting between the outgoing and new presidents.

Before the Notre Dame event, Trump will also meet Britain’s Prince William, who is also meeting with Jill Biden, according to the British Royal Palace.

Relations between France and the United States began quite amicably during Trump’s first term in office, but became increasingly tense over time.

Macron was a guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and casting doubt on America’s commitment to the mutual defense pact.

During this year’s election campaign, Trump frequently mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose high tariffs on bottles of wine and champagne shipped to the United States if France tried to tax American companies.

But Macron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump after the election last month.

Last weekend, Trump announced that he intended to do so to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France. Predecessors in this prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.