Macron affirms Trump has ‘solid ally’ in France, urges realism from Ukraine over territory

President Emmanuel Macron outlined France’s foreign policy for the coming year

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French President Emmanuel Macron and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris on December 7. Photo: Zuma Press Wire / dpa

Published: 1:36am, 7 Jan 2025Updated: 11:43am, 7 Jan 2025

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country was a “a solid ally” of US president-elect Donald Trump on Monday as he outlined his vision for global diplomacy in 2025, while warning that France could lose the incoming US leader’s respect by being “weak and defeatist”.

“Donald Trump knows that he has a solid ally in France, an ally he does not underestimate, one who believes in Europe and carries a lucid ambition for the transatlantic relationship,” Macron said in a New Year speech at the Élysée Palace, emphasising France’s commitment to fostering cooperation while urging European nations to fortify their unity and resilience.

Last month, Trump visited Paris for the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, an event that underscored the enduring ties between France and the United States.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, Belgium in December. Photo: Reuters

“If we decide to be weak and defeatist, there is little chance we will be respected by the United States under President Trump,” Macron warned.

The speech, delivered against a backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, laid out France’s foreign policy priorities, spanning the Ukraine war, European defence, and the Middle East.

Even as Macron expressed openness to Trump, he delivered pointed criticism of tech mogul Elon Musk, a known Trump ally, for promoting what he described as a “new reactionary international” movement through his social media platform, X.

Without naming Musk directly, Macron referenced his alleged support for Germany’s far-right AfD party and his increasing interference in European elections.

“Who could have imagined, 10 years ago, that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would intervene directly in elections, including in Germany?” Macron said. He warned of the risks posed by unchecked power in the hands of tech billionaires and the destabilising impact they could have on democratic institutions.