Trump arrives in Paris on second Europe trip in a week

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Europe for the second time in a week, a trip meant as a pomp-filled celebration of transatlantic ties at a time of anxiety on both continents.

Air Force One landed at Paris Orly airport, south of the city center, early Thursday morning. From there, Trump’s due to take meetings at the American ambassador’s residence before being greeted in a formal welcoming ceremony by his host, French President Emmanuel Macron.

The trip may provide Trump at least a short interlude from the political crisis swirling back home around a meeting between his son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer during last year’s presidential campaign.

Later Thursday, the American leader will tour Napoleon’s tomb at the Les Invalides before sitting down for extended security talks with Macron at the Élysée Palace. The pair will then take questions from reporters in the evening, and dine with their wives in a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second landing of the Eiffel Tower.

Low profile since G20

Trump himself has remained out of sight since returning late Saturday from Hamburg, where he attended a high-stakes Group of 20 summit and met with several foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron, who was elected decisively in May and bolstered by legislative successes for his new political party, views himself as a bridge between Europe and the United States, his advisers have said. Rather than isolate Trump, Macron hopes the keep the US leader within the fold of other western democracies.

Macron appears uniquely positioned to assume the role of Europe’s primary interlocutor with Trump. Unlike German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces reelection in September, or British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was dealt a political blow in last month’s snap election, Macron is unencumbered by looming political baggage that would distract from a close relationship with the US president.

But while both men exude alpha-male tendencies, their differences are readily apparent. At 39, Macron is the youngest French president in modern times; the 71-year-old Trump is the oldest elected US president in history.

Trump offered tacit backing to Macron’s rival in this year’s presidential contest, the hard-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Meanwhile, Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama endorsed Macron.

And their first meeting was marked by aggressive body language: Macron gripping Trump’s hand for an extended shake, their eyes locking as cameras clicked away.

Macron later said the aggression was intentional, but at last week’s G20 summit in Germany the two men appeared far more relaxed. The French leader seemed intent on standing next to Trump during group photos, a reminder of his self-assigned role as Trump’s European contact point.

Macron is eager to develop close security ties with Trump, but in other areas he’s already emerged as a vocal critic, most notably over Trump’s withdrawal from the climate accord that bears the French capital’s name.

Trump stands with Putin and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, at the G20 summit. Climate change, terrorism and migration are on the agenda.

Source: cnn.com