PARIS (AP) — Donald Trump is off on his first worldwide journey as president-elect, prepared to hitch world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fireplace in 2019.
Trump wrote when he accepted the invitation earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron had accomplished “an exquisite job making certain that Notre Dame has been restored to its full degree of glory, and much more so. It will likely be a really special occasion for all!”
Since Trump touched down at Paris’ Orly Airport on Saturday morning, greater than 20 French authorities safety brokers have been serving to guarantee his security alongside the Secret Service, based on French nationwide police. A particular French police van has additionally supplied anti-drone safety for Trump’s convoy.
Security is tighter than common outdoors the U.S. Embassy and different websites round Paris for the grandiose Notre Dame reopening, the place dozens of worldwide VIPs are anticipated.
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made some extent of cultivating a relationship with the president-elect since he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris final month. But his workplace nonetheless performed down the importance of the invitation, saying that different politicians who don’t at present maintain workplace had been invited as properly.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a “pleasant nation,” Macron’s workplace stated, including, “This is under no circumstances distinctive, we’ve accomplished it earlier than.”
President Joe Biden was invited as properly however is not going to attend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling battle and stated that the primary woman, Jill Biden, will as an alternative characterize the U.S.
Trump and the U.S. first woman final encountered each other shortly after the election, when he visited the White House for the standard assembly between outgoing and incoming presidents.
Trump’s go to to France comes as Macron and different European leaders are attempting to domesticate the president-elect’s favor and persuade him to keep up assist for Ukraine in its protection towards Russia’s three-year invasion.
Ahead of the Notre Dame occasion, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain’s Prince William — who’s additionally assembly with Jill Biden, based on the British royal palace.
Macron will convene individually Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’s not clear whether or not Trump will meet Zelenskyy, too. Trump has vowed to finish the warfare in Ukraine swiftly however has not specified how, elevating issues in Kyiv about what phrases could also be laid out for any future negotiations.
In an effort to construct belief with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s high aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trump’s group on a two-day journey earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as he was not licensed to talk publicly, described the conferences as productive, however declined to reveal particulars.
Relations between France and the U.S. throughout Trump’s first time period started warmly sufficient however grew more and more strained over time.
Macron was the visitor of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France a number of instances. But the connection suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the necessity for NATO and elevating doubts about America’s dedication to the mutual protection pact.
On the marketing campaign path this yr, Trump usually mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American firms.
But Macron was one of many first international leaders to congratulate Trump final month after the election.
Trump was president in 2019 when an enormous fireplace engulfed Notre Dame, collapsing its spire and threatening to destroy one of many world’s best architectural treasures, identified for its mesmerizing stained glass.
“So horrible to look at the large fireplace at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote on what was then Twitter, providing his recommendation to town.
“Perhaps flying water tankers might be used to place it out. Must act rapidly!” he wrote.
French officers appeared to reply shortly after, noting that “All means” had been getting used to extinguish the flames, “aside from water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, might result in the collapse of your entire construction of the cathedral.”
Last weekend, Trump introduced that he intends to appoint actual property developer Charles Kushner, the daddy of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to function ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious position embody Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
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Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
