Donald Trump appeared to humiliate French president Emmanuel Macron Monday afternoon when he failed to greet him on his arrival at the White House, and perched him by the side of his desk in the Oval Office.
Footage showed the French president pulling up in a black car before he was welcomed by White House Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley.
Meanwhile, images have revealed Macron was embarrassingly crammed onto the corner of Trump’s Oval Office desk during a Zoom call with world leaders – while the US president sat spaciously in the middle.
Macron became the second European leader to meet Trump at the White House today, as the continent rallies its arguments in defense of Ukraine.
Trump sent shockwaves through Europe by criticising the Ukrainian president and claiming Ukraine started the war rather than Russia.
Before his visit, Macron said he would present Trump with arguments that it was not in his interests to bend to Moscow.
‘I will tell him: Deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of and it’s not in your interests,’ he said during a social media question-and-answer session.
The two started the day on a conference call with G7 leaders on the day marking the third anniversary of the full Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Macron will be tag teamed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will be at the White House on Thursday.
The UK and France represent Europe’s nuclear powers. And their leaders have indicated they are ready to step up assistance to Ukraine, and stand up a European military force to protect a peace deal.
‘I will tell him: Deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of and it’s not in your interests,’ he said during a social media question-and-answer session.
