The reported meetings are scheduled just days after the French president’s minority government was toppled by parliament
French President Emmanuel Macron will host a bilateral meeting on Saturday with US President-elect Donald Trump, ahead of the re-opening ceremony for the newly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral, national media reported on Friday.
France24, citing the Elysee Palace, said the sit-down with Trump will be followed by talks with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
While it is unclear whether the three will hold a trilateral meeting, or if Trump will hold separate talks with Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader reportedly hopes for a chance to meet the US president-elect, according to AFP citing a government source in Kiev.
In addition to the Zelensky-Macron talks, “other meetings are also possible, in particular with President-elect Donald Trump, who will also attend the event,” the source reportedly said.
National leaders and prominent figures from 50 countries are descending on the French capital for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was badly damaged by fire in April 2019. The UNESCO heritage site has undergone a €700 million renovation.
The UK will be represented at the event by Prince William, Kensington Palace has announced.
The grand event comes at a time of political strife for Macron. French Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote earlier this week, after both left-wing and right-wing parties objected to the minority cabinet’s massive proposed austerity measures.
Despite heavy pressure from lawmakers, Macron has declared he will not step down as president, promising to stay in office until his term expires in 2027.
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