Presidents look past differences
PARIS — President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron set aside lingering differences on climate change during their meeting in France on Thursday, asserting that it shouldn’t prevent them from working together toward a post-war roadmap for Syria and to enhance Mideast security.
Trump, standing alongside Macron at a news conference, said the two nations have “occasional disagreements” but that would not disrupt a friendship that dates to the American Revolution. He remained noncommittal about the United States eventually rejoining the global climate agreement that bears Paris’ name, telling Macron, “if it happens that will be wonderful, and if it doesn’t that will be OK, too.”
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Macron acknowledged sharp differences on the Paris climate pact but said the two leaders could find other areas of cooperation. “Should that have an impact on the discussions we’re having on all other topics? No, absolutely not,” he said.
Trump arrived in the French capital on Thursday for a whirlwind, 36-hour visit to meet with Macron and tackle potential solutions to the crisis in Syria and discuss broader counterterrorism strategies before being feted at Bastille Day celebrations Friday.
The president landed in Paris amid questions about emails showing that his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., welcomed the prospect of receiving Russian government support in last year’s presidential campaign between his father and Hillary Clinton.
Topics like resolving the yearslong civil war in Syria and countering terrorism gave Trump and Macron areas to cooperate. The two said they also discussed the security situations in Ukraine and Libya.
Trump praised a cease-fire in southern Syria that he helped broker last week with Russia and Jordan and said the U.S. was working on a second cease-fire in a “rough part of Syria.”
Macron said he discussed with