November 13, 2018

*-- Trump meets French President Macron after friction before Paris arrival --*

President Donald Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Saturday despite tension over comments they made about each other before his arrival.

Trump and Macron seemed tense at times as they sat in the Elysee Palace in Paris to begin meetings and commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, but were able to find common ground.

Trump said he would not meet with leaders in a peace forum to commemorate the end of WWI with the Armistice of November 11, 1918, but would talk with Macron about security and economic trade.

The two leaders said they would discuss various issues including the conflicts in Yemen and Syria, the Iran nuclear deal, trade, climate change and terrorism.

Though Trump and Macron consider themselves friends, their recent exchange of criticisms began when Macron told Europe 1 radio that the European Union needs a "real army," so it could depend less on the United States. Macron also criticized Trump's vow to abandon the decades-long nuclear deal with Russia.

Macron also sparked tensions in a separate interview when he said in regard to cyber security that France had to protect itself "with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America."

Trump fired back on Twitter shortly before he arrived in Paris Friday night.

"President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia," Trump tweeted. "Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly!"

At Saturday morning's meeting, they were able to agree on "burden sharing" for NATO countries. Trump has said the U.S. share of spending on the security alliance is unfair and burdensome.

"It's unfair to have the European security today being assured just by the United States, and we need a much better burden sharing," Macron said. "That's why I do believe that we need more European capacities, more European defense, in order to take this part of the burden."

"When President Trump has to protect or to defend one of the states of the United States, he doesn't ask France or Germany, or another government of Europe to finance it," he added. "That's why I do believe that we need more investment."

They both also stressed their friendship.

Macron called Trump "my good friend" and squeezed his knee at the end of their remarks to reporters.

"We have become very good friends over the last couple of years," Trump said of Macron. "We're very much similar in our views."

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