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by Carol E. Lee, Kristen Welker and Kelly O'Donnell
PARIS – President Donald Trump with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday amid new tensions in one of the closest relationships.
On the eve of their meeting at the Elysee Palace, Trump criticized Macron's pitch for hardening European defenses to protect the continent from the countries of the U.S. "Insulting."
The president is also attending a conference in Paris, where world leaders are gathering to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
But on Saturday morning, the European Union and Trump stressing their friendship and shared positions on "burden sharing" for NATO countries.
Macron called Trump "my good friend" and even squeezed Trump's knee at the end of their remarks to reporters, a gesture reminiscent of the bromance that's defined their relationship.
"We have become very good friends over the last couple of years," said Trump of Macron. "We're very much similar in our views."
Macron said his vision of a stronger European defense is intended to ease the burden on the U.S. because "it's unfair to have the European security today being assured just by the United States."
"That's why I think we need more European capabilities," said Macron said. "When President Trump has to protect or to defend one of the states of the United States, he does not ask France or Germany, or another government of Europe to finance it."
Trump has made the issue of European nations increase their defense budgets as members of NATO since he campaigned for the presidency. It's been one of the leading points of tension in his administration's relationship with the continent.
"We want to help Europe but it has to be fair," he said Saturday. "Right now, the burden is largely on the United States."
Macron is one of the few European leaders who managed to develop a bond with Trump. He hosted the president in Paris last year for France's Bastille Day celebration, and Trump feted Macron with the only state of affairs.
But the limits of these efforts have begun to show.
Trump's decision not to wait Macron's peace conference, for instance, is not only a snub but also a "sign of the man who is not interested in peace," said Francois Heisbourg, to form a campaign adviser to the French leader who is now the director of a defense think tank in Paris.
"The fact that the president, the American president, will be one of those who will not be with us." Heisbourg said. "That's going to hurt badly."
Other world leaders in Paris this weekend, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, plan to attend.
The question of whether Trump and Putin will have a discussion during the events in Paris, Saturday night and a lunch on Sunday, looms over the weekend. There is no meeting scheduled between the U.S. and Russian leaders, who are expected to hold a formal sit-down later in the year.
Beyond European defense, Trump and Macron have been set to discuss an array of economic, foreign policy and security issues. Macron said their talks would focus on trade, climate change, threats from Iran and the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Trump said terrorism would be a significant topic in their meeting, and that he hoped for advance discussions on trade.
"We'll see if we can get it over the line, as they say," Trump said.
Macron said France is committed to increasing its defense budget. His comments were made by the author of a comment on the topic of Europe from the U.S. while discussing cyber security and global instability.
Just before arriving in Paris Friday night, what does Macron said.
"President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly!"
Trump's visit to Paris is the first trip of the U.S. since Tuesday's midterm elections in which Democrats won control of the House and Republicans held the Senate.
He decided to wait for the World War I commemoration after his plans for a military parade in Washington, DC this weekend was derailed because it was more than $ 90 million. He had called the celebration of Armistice Day a "parade," though it was actually a series of events at the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.
In general, the theme Macron adopted for the weekend – international cooperation and the value of alliances – runs counter to Trump's "America First" world view, and the city is expecting protests on Sunday against the U.S. leader's policies.
Yet another group of protesters in Paris are demonstrating because they agree with Trump. The Accidental Americans Association in France is organizing a protest of America's policy of self-determination in the U.S. The group wants its members' U.S. citizenship to be removed, saying America's policy forces to pay additional taxes on their French revenue.
Trump has said he wants to reverse the U.S.'s so-called birthright citizenship policy.
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