French President Emmanuel Macron has invited his US counterpart Donald Trump to a lavish dinner at the lavish Palace of Versailles, the day after a G7 summit scheduled for mid-June, although it remains unclear whether Trump will attend any of the events, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.
France is hosting this year's G7 summit, with leaders meeting in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains at the foot of the French Alps from June 15-17.
Macron has already changed the date to not coincide with a mixed martial arts event organized by Trump at the White House on June 14. The event will be organized on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the US president.
Among other issues, Trump's relationship with many G7 members has grown increasingly strained over his war on Iran, with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer a favorite target of his criticism. Trump expressed his deep displeasure with the London-based leader's initial refusal to make air bases available to the US for strikes against Iran.
Trump has also repeatedly criticized NATO, the alliance that includes all the member countries of the G7 group, for the way it reacted to the conflict.
Trump has not yet responded to Macron's invitation
Reuters sources say it is not yet clear whether Trump will be present at Evian-les-Bains, let alone Versailles, where they say no other G7 leader has been invited.
A possible Trump absence would be a serious blow to Macron and cast a long shadow over the G7 summit, at a time when the US administration is openly skeptical of the usefulness of such multilateral meetings.
Macron's invitation to Trump is aimed at a lavish event at Versailles, a gilded 17th-century palace built near Paris by Louis XIV, which would highlight the two nations' shared history ahead of the 250th anniversary of US independence on July 4.
A senior White House official confirmed the invitation, saying, “(Macron) really wants him (Trump) to come, he's very insistent on attending.” However, the official added that Trump has not yet made a decision even about attending the G7 summit.
Macron's office declined to comment on the invitation to Versailles.
A French official familiar with the planning, which is still in its early stages, said Macron could host Trump on a bilateral visit around the G7 summit, as he might with any of the invited leaders.
“The format of this reception is not finalised. The visit remains to be confirmed,” the official said.
