President Donald Trump held the door open to a reversal of his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord on Thursday, but did not say what he would need in return to persuade him to do so.
Trump, who has made few friends in Europe with his rejection of the 2015 Paris agreement and his "America First" trade stance, met with French President Emmanuel Macron as both leaders sought common ground to reset an awkward relationship.
Something could happen with respect to the Paris accords, let’s see what happens...If it happens, that will be wonderful, and if it doesn’t, that’ll be OK too.
Trump has said the Paris accord is soft on leading polluters like China and India, putting US industry at risk.
I respect the wish to preserve jobs, I think that’s compatible with the Paris accord...There is no sudden and unexpected change today, otherwise we would have announced it, but there is the shared intention to continue discussing these issues.Emmanuel Macron
Trump and Macron's relationship got off to a bumpy start, but both have an incentive to improve relations – Macron hopes to elevate France's role in global affairs, and Trump, seemingly isolated among world leaders, needs a friend overseas.
Trump came to France beset by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election, with emails released on Tuesday suggesting his eldest son welcomed an offer of Russian help against his father's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Weeks after Macron hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Palace of Versailles, Trump will bask in the trappings of the Bastille Day military parade on Friday and commemorations of the entry 100 years ago of US troops into World War One.
Macron welcomed Trump with a warm handshake and smiles, a contrast to the clenched-jaw greeting they shared at their first encounter in May.
"Emmanuel, nice to see you. This is so beautiful," the US president told Macron as they met at the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon Bonaparte and other French war heroes are buried.
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