PALACE TALKS
Trump & Macron meet Zelensky for crunch talks in Paris weeks after Don revealed Ukraine war ‘peace plan’
Trump delivered one of his famous strong handshakes
DONALD Trump and Emmanuel Macron met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris for crunch talks.
Trump met the French president at the Elysee Palace in Paris today as he attended the opening of Notre Dame.
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The pair were quickly joined by the Ukrainian leader after Trump vowed repeatedly during his election campaign to swiftly bring an end to the war.
Top Ukrainian officials have held high-level talks with the incoming President over the past few weeks to get a peace plan in place for when he comes into office.
It has been reported that Trump's advisors are publicly and privately issuing a variety of proposals to bring the conflict to an end.
Such solutions are reported to see Ukraine give up large parts of its territory to Russia.
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Any talks between the three leaders will be closely watched by others as the reopening of the Notre Dame plays the backdrop to possibly huge diplomatic talks.
When he accepted Macron's invitation, Trump said he had done "a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so.
"It will be a very special day for all!"
Trump touched down on his first foreign trip since his election win, at Orly airport in the south of Paris on a private plane just before 7 am, a source told AFP.
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Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a bond since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris last month.
But on Saturday, the returning President said that he had "enjoyed a great relationship" with Macron in his first term and that they were already preparing to hold discussions about geopolitics.
"We have a good time together, and we had a lot of success, really great success working together," Trump said while standing alongside his French counterpart.
"It certainly seemed like the world is going a little crazy right not. And we'll be talking about that," he added before the pair headed off into bilateral talks earlier today.
With dozens of guests present, Notre Dame's reopening after the 2019 blaze will include the ritualised opening of the cathedral's massive doors, the reawakening of its organ, and the celebration of the first Mass.
Macron toured the fully restored 861-year-old church last week as cameras were allowed in for the first time after the rebuilding project.
The extensive restoration took more than 60 months and cost a whopping £600million to rebuild the spires and roof that were destroyed in the blaze.
The representatives of over 50 countries are expected to attend the reopening.
With so many world leaders gathering for the event, it is set to also be the location where diplomatic alliances and conversations will be playing out.
In an assumed show of strength and unity, Trump and Macron were seen greeting each other with a bizarre power handshake as the French President's government faces a crisis.
Earlier this week the 46-year-old announced he would not resign after his prime minister Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence vote in France's parliament.
As Macron puts on a show of defiance and attempts to unite world leaders, Trump is sure to hold a series of meetings with key leaders and representatives.
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At the event, he is set to meet Prince William where they will discuss the importance of the US-UK's 'special relationship', Kensington Palace has announced.
First Lady Jill Biden is also scheduled to attend in place of her husband, the outgoing President Joe Biden who could not accept Macron's invitation due to a scheduling issue.
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