French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Thursday with a warm handshake and smiles, a contrast to the clenched-jaw greeting they shared at their first meeting in May.
“Emmanuel, nice to see you. This is so beautiful,” the U.S. President told Mr. Macron as they met at the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon Bonaparte and other French war heroes are buried.
Improving relations
Patting Mr. Trump on the back several times, the French President smiled as they began a tour of the grand 17th century military complex.
Mr. Macron and Mr. Trump were scheduled to hold talks lasting an hour and a half before dining with their wives at a restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
After a bumpy start, both have incentives to improve relations - Macron hoping to elevate France's role in global affairs, and Mr. Trump, seemingly isolated among world leaders, needing a friend overseas.
Mr. Trump comes to France beset by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, with emails released on Tuesday suggesting his eldest son welcomed an offer of Russian help against his father’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Influencing U.S. policy
Weeks after Mr. Macron hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Palace of Versailles, Mr. Trump will bask in the trappings of the Bastille Day military parade on Friday and commemorations of the entry 100 years ago of U.S. troops into World War One.
For the 39-year-old Mr. Macron, France’s youngest leader since Napoleon two centuries ago, the visit is a chance to use soft diplomacy to win Mr. Trump’s confidence and set about influencing U.S. foreign policy, which European leaders say lacks direction.
Mr. Macron views it as counter-productive to isolate the United States on the world stage, and progress may be made on joint approaches to counter-terrorism and security.