Bengaluru: French President Emmanuel Macron told Donald Trump he did not understand what the U.S. President was “doing on Greenland,” and offered to host a G7 meeting inviting Russia and others, according to a screenshot of the messages Trump posted online.
In the messages, Macron told Trump he could invite the Ukrainians, the Danes, the Syrians and the Russians to participate on the margins of the G7 meeting on Thursday, and also invited Trump to have dinner with him in Paris.
A source close to Macron said the messages shared by Trump were authentic. Trump‘s replies, if any, were not part of the screenshot that he posted on his Truth Social account early on Tuesday. The White House and Macron’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Macron, addressing Trump as his “friend” in the messages, said he was “totally in line” with Trump on Syria, and that they could do “great things on Iran”.
CRISIS MEETING PLANNED ON GREENLAND
Trump‘s post comes after EU leaders decided over the weekend to convene in Brussels on Thursday evening for an emergency summit following the U.S. leader’s threats to impose new tariffs on goods from several European countries over his demand to acquire Greenland.
Macron has called Trump‘s threat of tariffs over Greenland unacceptable.
The Truth Social post appeared hours after the U.S. president said he will impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes, a move he said would push Macron to join Trump‘s Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts.
It was not immediately clear when the messages from Macron to Trump were sent.
Macron is scheduled to arrive at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday morning, and return to Paris on Tuesday evening, Elysee aides said on Monday, adding there were no plans to extend his stay to Wednesday, when Trump arrives in the Swiss town.
In December the French president said Europe will have to re-engage in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin if the latest U.S.-led efforts to broker a Ukraine peace deal founder.
Last week, Macron said that France was now providing two-thirds of intelligence information to Ukraine, largely replacing the United States.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Andrew Heavens)
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