US President Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron addressed reporters after “a frank and productive private meeting.” The alliance between their countries seems to have reached a new, personal level.
When US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron emerged from an Oval Office meeting to address government officials and reporters at the White House Tuesday, the men stressed both the historic ties that bind their respective countries but also willingly displayed their personal friendship for the world to see.
The leaders called their meeting “frank and productive” and addressed a number of topics in their initial statements including the fate of the Iran nuclear deal, Syria, trade, immigration and the environment.
Iran: Trump stressed the idea of “maximum pressure” on Iran, calling for the Islamic Republic to cease its sponsorship of terrorism, a sentiment backed by Macron who called for a new nuclear agreement while stressing maintenance of the existing treaty.
Syria: Trump spoke of how “civilized nations came together to ban chemical weapons” after World War I before praising France’s fighting forces in last week’s coordinated airstrikes in Syria, to which Macron pointed out the importance of fighting for victory but also for peace.
North Korea: Trump touted the concept of applying “maximum pressure” when it comes to North Korea and Iran and thanked France for its commitment to ending nuclear proliferation in North Korea.
Trade: Trump’s calls for exploring bilateral trade “based on fairness and reciprocity” were echoed by Macron’s reference to the importance of “compliance to trade laws among allies” and the need for a “stable and sustainable framework.”
Friendship: Both men emphasized their countries’ two centuries of alliance but also their own personal “friendship” as Macron said, while Trump chuckled, saying: “I like him a lot” as the meeting ended.
French journalist Thibaut Madelin told DW that the friendship between Macron and Trump was viewed with a “mixture of admiration and skeptism” at home.
“In Germany, public opinion is against Trump, but in France the view is more pragmatic. If Macron has a fruitful relationship with Trump, it will be greeted in a positive way in France,” he said.
For more read the full of article at The DW
