Reuters, Paris :
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. 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.
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.
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.
