Trump in Paris to reopen the Notre Dame Cathedral, will meet with Macron, Prince William

President-elect Donald Trump has embarked on his first international trip since being re-elected to the White House. He will join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris to celebrate the renovation once again the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire destroyed the historic site.

Earlier this week, Trump said he has accepted the invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron. He said Macron had done “a great job to ensure that Notre Dame is restored to its full level of glory, and even more. It will be a very special day for all!”

Trump arrived at Orly airport in Paris on Saturday morning. More than 20 French government security agents helped ensure his safety alongside the Secret Service, according to the French national police. Security is tighter than usual outside the US Embassy and other sites around Paris for the dramatic reopening.

Outside the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, dozens of members of the French Republican Guard stood awaiting Trump's arrival.

The red carpet arrival is the same method used by the French to welcome sitting American presidents. It was another sign of how determined Macron and other European leaders are to curry Trump's favor and put him in front of him before he takes office.

Before they went inside, Trump said, “It sure seems like the world is going crazy right now. And we're going to be talking about that.”

Notre Dame was destroyed by fire which lasted for 12 hours on April 15, 2019, nearly destroyed the 1,200-year-old church. Although experts said at the time that recovery could take 40 years, Macron vowed to rebuild in five years.

“The decision to rebuild Notre Dame was about our ability to save, restore, sometimes reinvent who we are by keeping where we came from,” Macron told 60 Minutes. “This is a message of success.”

Macron, who has had a rocky relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship with the president-elect since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris last month. But his office downplayed the importance of the invitation, saying that other politicians who are not currently in office have also been invited.

President Joe Biden has also been invited but will not be attending. White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, revealed the scheduling conflict and said that the first lady, Jill Biden, will represent the US.

Trump and the US first lady last met shortly after the election, when she visited the White House for a traditional meeting between outgoing and incoming presidents.

Trump's visit to France comes as Macron and other European leaders try to curry favor with the president-elect to continue supporting Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression for three years.

Before the Notre Dame ceremony, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain's Prince William – who is also meeting with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.

Macron will meet separately on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is not clear whether Trump will meet with Zelenskyy as well. Trump has vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kyiv about what terms any future talks might set.

In an effort to build trust with the incoming US administration, Zelenskyy's top aide Andriy Yermak met with key members of Trump's team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who did not want to be named as he is not authorized to speak publicly, described the meetings as successful but declined to divulge details.

Relations between France and the US during Trump's first term started off warm enough but grew strained over time.

Macron was the guest of honor at Trump's first dinner, and Trump has traveled to France several times. But relations have soured after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America's commitment to the mutual defense pact.

During this year's campaign, Trump often taunted Macron, imitating his speech and threatening to impose tariffs on bottles of wine and champagne sent to the US if France tried to impose tariffs on American companies.

But Macron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.

Last weekend, Trump he announced his intention appointing real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of her son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. His predecessors in that prestigious role included Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.