Macron invited Trump to a lavish dinner in Versailles after the G7 summit - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The French President invited Donald Trump to the Palace of Versailles ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The US leader's participation in the G7 summit remains uncertain.
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited US President Donald Trump to a lavish dinner at the exquisite Palace of Versailles the day after the G7 summit in mid-June, although it remains unclear whether Trump will attend either event, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
France is hosting this year's G7 summit, with the leaders' summit taking place at the Evian-les-Bains resort at the foot of the French Alps from June 15 to 17 – dates that Macron has already moved to accommodate a mixed martial arts event that Trump is hosting at the White House for his 80th birthday on June 14.
Trump's relations with many G7 members, the publication notes, have become increasingly strained over his war with Iran, among other issues, including overtly harsh comments on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's proposal for military support in early March. He has also repeatedly criticized NATO, which includes all G7 members except Japan, for its response to the conflict.
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Sources said it was unclear whether Trump would be in Evian-les-Bains, let alone Versailles, where, they said, none of the other G7 leaders had been invited.
Trump's absence would be a major problem for Macron and cast a shadow over the G7 at a time when the US administration is openly skeptical of the value of such multilateral meetings, the publication writes.
Macron's invitation to Trump concerns a pompous event at Versailles, the gilded 17th-century palace built outside Paris by Louis XIV, which would leverage the two countries' shared history ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States on July 4, two sources said.
A senior White House official confirmed the invitation, saying: "(Macron) very much wants him (Trump) to come, is begging him to come." But the official added that Trump has not even decided whether to attend the G7 summit.
Macron's office declined to comment on the invitation to Versailles.
A French official familiar with the planning, which is still in its early stages, said Macron could host Trump for a bilateral visit around the time of the G7 summit, as he would any of the invited leaders.
"The format of this reception has not yet been finalized. The visit still needs to be confirmed," the official said.