Trump, Macron at odds on European defense ahead of WW1 commemoration

PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron headed towards a potential clash in talks on Saturday after Trump took offense at what he called a “very insulting” comment from Macron about the need to create a European army.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron as they meet at Elysee presidential palace, as part of the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day, 100 years after the end of the First World War, in Paris, France, November 10, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Fresh off U.S. congressional elections that saw his Republican Party’s power erode, Trump is in Paris this weekend to bolster the U.S.-European alliance at commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.

But in a tweet prior to landing in Paris, Trump took a dim view of comments Macron made in a Europe 1 radio interview this week.

Discussing the threat from cyber-hacking and meddling from outside in the electoral process, Macron said Europe needed to protect itself against China, Russia and even the United States. 

Later in the interview he spoke about the need for a European army, saying:

“Faced by Russia, which is on our borders and which has shown that it can be threatening... we need to have a Europe that can better defend itself by itself, without depending solely on the United States,” he said.

Trump, who has pushed NATO allies to pay more for their common defense and not rely so heavily on the United States, complained.

“Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly,” Trump said on Twitter.

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The president, joined by his wife Melania and high-ranking U.S. officials, arrived late on Friday aboard Air Force One for a visit that he called “very special” and one that he “looked forward to.”

On Saturday morning, the U.S. president arrived at the Elysee Palace under rainy skies for talks with Macron. Macron welcomed him at the front steps, but their hand shake and greeting appeared less warm than it has been in the past.

SOLEMN COMMEMORATION

Trump’s official mission on the trip is to participate in ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. He is scheduled to make pilgrimages to two American cemeteries, Belleau Wood east of Paris on Saturday and Suresnes on the western outskirts of the capital on Sunday, where he will make formal remarks.

His trip comes just days after congressional elections delivered results that will complicate his next two years. While Republicans slightly expanded their majority in the U.S. Senate, they lost control of the U.S. House of Representatives to Democrats who may use their newfound power to launch investigations into Trump and stymie his agenda.

Trump’s talks with Macron at the Elysee are likely to cover European concerns about Trump’s plans to withdraw the United States from the 1980s Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement and U.S. renewal of sanctions against Iran.

Macron told Europe 1 radio that the “main victim” of the U.S. withdrawal from the INF accord was Europe and its security.

The French president, who tried but failed earlier this year to talk Trump out of withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has also voiced worries about the impact of sanctions on European companies doing business with Iran.

Slideshow (9 Images)

Trump may also chat briefly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday when both are among some 70 world leaders gathered at the Arc de Triomphe to mark the end of the Great War 100 years ago. Trump and Putin are expected to have formal talks later this month when both attend a G-20 summit in Buenos Aires.

Trump, who has pursued “America First” policies since taking over the presidency in January 2017, declared himself a “nationalist” during the run-up to the congressional elections, a term likely to raise concerns in Europe.

“I’m not a globalist, but I want to take care of the globe, but first I have to take care of our country,” he told Fox News Channel’s “The Ingraham Angle” last week. “I want to help people around the world, but we have to take care of our country, or we won’t have a country.”

Additional reporting by Luke Baker and Michel Rose; Editing by Luke Baker and Richard Lough

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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