Diplomatic opportunities at cathedral reopening as Trump set to meet Macron and Zelenskyy

Donald Trump arrives in France today where he will meet numerous global heads of state for the first time since his re-election.

It’s understood the meetings will include time with Prince William.

The heads of state or other representatives of more than 50 countries are in Paris to attend the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral which was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

The US president-elect was invited to attend by French President Emmanuel Macron and it will be his first foreign trip since he won the US election in November and the first he has made out of America since 2023.

Reports suggest that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be present though no meeting with Mr Trump has yet been confirmed.

Read more:
Inside Notre-Dame cathedral – five years after devastating fire
Prince William to attend Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening

First lady Jill Biden will also attend the Notre-Dame ceremony but President Joe Biden has just returned from a trip to Angola and is not expected to attend.

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“It is an honour to announce that I will be travelling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the reopening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” Mr Trump announced on his platform Truth Social earlier in the week.

Beyond the spectacle of the cathedral’s reopening, the presence of the US president-elect among many other world leaders transforms the weekend into a potentially significant diplomatic moment.

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Mr Trump’s plans to end the Ukraine war are weighing on leaders’ minds across Europe. He will hold bilateral talks with President Macron at the Elysee Palace and while no meeting is confirmed with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, it’s likely that one could emerge.

Last week, speaking exclusively to Sky News’ Stuart Ramsay, Mr Zelenskyy suggested a ceasefire deal could be struck if Ukrainian territory he controls could be taken “under the NATO umbrella” – allowing him to negotiate the return of the rest later “in a diplomatic way”.

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Mr Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war quickly but has not yet given details on how that would be achieved. A meeting between Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump, which Mr Macron would be keen to be seen to broker, could be the first step in outlining a peace plan.

The relationship between Mr Trump and Mr Macron has, at times, been complex. Mr Macron was president of France during Mr Trump’s last term and today’s meeting will be the latest of many.

Mr Macron invited Mr Trump to attend a Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees in 2017, during which the two men engaged in a bizarre and extended handshake. Mr Trump and former first lady Melania Trump also hosted Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte for a state visit at the White House in 2018.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not expected to attend the event because the invitations were issued to heads of state rather than heads of government. Prince William is attending on behalf of King Charles.

It is understood that the prince’s attendance was arranged at the last minute. He last met Mr Trump in 2019, when the then-president made a state visit to the UK. The president-elect has often talked about his fondness for the British Royal Family.