Macron called Trump a "good friend" and patted his knee

During a bilateral meeting in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron called his American counterpart Donald Trump "good friend" and confirmed his words by tapping the US leader on his knee, reports Gazeta, citing a video published by The Associated Press.

According to the agency, a friendly gesture by the French president was a response to a question from journalists about Trump's tweet, in which he was unflattering about Macron.
As noted, during a meeting with the head of France, Trump was very welcome, but at the time of the friendly patting of Macron he sat “with a stony face”.

The greetings of the leaders of France and the United States have repeatedly attracted media attention. So, when Trump participated in the celebration of Bastille Day in 2017, Macron shook Trump's hand for almost half a minute. A year later, the Telegraph noticed that Trump's hand had turned white from Macron's strong handshake.

Trump Wants Europe to Be More Responsible for Defense

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump after meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday. The United States wants "strong Europe" and the US is willing to help Europe, but Europe must be fair on the division of the burden of the defense budget, said US President Donald Trump on Saturday.

"We want a strong Europe, it is very important for us and whatever the best and more efficient way is something that is desired by both parties," Trump said after being welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

When asked about what was meant when Trump stated on Twitter that he felt insulted by Macron's statement of wanting to reduce Europe's dependence on the US for security, Trump stated, "We want to help Europe, but it must be fair. Right now, the US is more load."
Macron stated that he agreed on Trump's point of view that Europe must contribute more in bearing the burden of the NATO budget. "Therefore, I believe proposals about European defense are in line with that."

Earlier, Trump criticized the words of Macron about the need to create a single European armed force, calling them "offensive" for the United States. In a recent interview, Macron said that such forces should be ready to defend Europe from China, Russia, and even the United States. In the presence of reporters, however, the presidents did not discuss this topic.

US President Donald Trump spoke about the words of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who stated the importance of creating a "pan-European army."

According to RT, citing a Twitter account of the American president, Trump found Macron’s desire offensive. At the talks, as previously reported, the leaders of France and the United States should have touched upon the themes of Syria, Iran, Yemen, as well as a rocket treaty with Russia, from which the United States threatened to withdraw.

Trump came to France for events dedicated to the one-hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War. The main celebrations will take place on Sunday, when about 70 world leaders will arrive in Paris, including Vladimir Putin. On Twitter, Trump wrote that "there is nothing better" than to celebrate the end of one of the bloodiest wars in human 

The two leaders will discuss various issues including Iran, conflicts in Syria and Yemen, climate change, and trade in meetings for 1 hour. Trump softened the threat of tariffs on cars produced in the European Union (EU) while the two sides discussed abolishing tariffs on imports of EU aluminum and steel by the US. The US president stated that the negotiations were developing. "We'll see if we can solve it," Trump added.