MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Macron skips the planned protocol and does not greet Trump in person at the G7 in France

Trump arrived in Évian from Geneva airport, where he landed in the early afternoon. At the Hôtel Royal in the spa town, the French leader was not waiting for him on the red carpet

French President Emmanuel Macron skipped the planned program on Monday and did not personally receive his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on his arrival at the G7 summit in Évian, in the French Alps. The provisional agenda for the meeting had Trump as the only leader to be personally received by the host.

Trump arrived in Évian from Geneva airport, where he landed in the early afternoon. At the Hôtel Royal in the spa town, the French leader was not waiting for him on the red carpet at the main entrance. At the moment the US president was due to arrive, the Élysée announced that Macron was holding a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The pre-summit agenda nonetheless includes a bilateral meeting between the two. Trump is accompanied, according to the White House, by Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer; the first lady, Melania Trump, did not travel to Europe.

The gesture came amid a trade dispute. Trump warned that the United States will impose 100% tariffs on French wine and champagne if Paris does not withdraw its 3% tax on digital services, which mainly affects large US technology companies. Macron, in an interview on the TF1 network, refused to eliminate the levy and stressed that it was a European decision and a right of states: “It is not the United States that decides European or French law,” he said. The French president described himself as “pragmatic” and not “resentful”: “I only have one shirt, that of the French national team; here we play at home,” he said. Wines and spirits from the European Union already face a 15% tariff in the US market.

Beyond trade, Macron hopes to use the summit, which will run for three days, to convince Trump to increase pressure on Russia and end the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will take part on Tuesday in a debate focused on promoting peace and security in his country. Macron anticipated that he aspires to hold a “respectful but firm” conversation with his counterpart.

The summit will officially begin with a joint welcome to the heads of state and government and their spouses, followed by a working dinner among the leaders only. For Macron, who is facing the final stretch of his term, the meeting represents one of his last major diplomatic occasions as host.