US President Donald Trump discussed a host of issues — including Syria, trade, the situation in Saudi Arabia, sanctions, Afghanistan, China and North Korea — during his meetings with the world leaders in France, the White House said.
Around 70 world leaders, including US President Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, gathered in Paris on Sunday to mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice in the French capital. Trump returned to Washington late Sunday night.
“Today (Sunday) at lunch, the President sat with (French) President (Emanuel) Macron, (German) Chancellor (Angela) Merkel, and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin, and many other world leaders,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
“The leaders discussed a variety of issues, including the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty), Syria, trade, the situation in Saudi Arabia, sanctions, Afghanistan, China, and North Korea. They had very good and productive discussions during the two-hour lunch,” she said.
Sanders also defended Trump’s decision to cancel his scheduled visit to a US cemetery in France due to rain.
Trump was heavily criticized for cancelling a trip to Belleau Wood battlefield in northern France on Saturday due to rain, with some critics accusing him of disrespecting America’s war dead.
“Because of near-zero visibility, Marine One was unable to fly, as had been planned,” Sanders said.
“A car ride of two-and-a-half hours, each way, would have required closures to substantial portions of the Paris roadways for the President’s motorcade, on short notice. President Trump did not want to cause that kind of unexpected disruption to the city and its people,” she explained.
Sanders further said Trump was “honored” to be able to attend a similar event on Sunday at the Suresnes American Cemetery and was “deeply moved by the sacrifices of so many for the cause of freedom”.
