French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte hosted U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles. The lavish dinner at the former residence of Louis XIV was part of a series of diplomatic gestures intended to improve transatlantic relations.
The event followed the G7 summit in Evian and represented a culmination of Macron's efforts to court the American president. Historian Fabien Oppermann noted that the dinner highlighted the French president's desire to impress his counterpart in hopes of preserving ties that have been especially strained.
These diplomatic efforts have brought the U.S. president closer to European positions, particularly regarding Ukraine. The visit to the opulent palace also included a surprise moment as part of the ongoing outreach between the two leaders.