Syria
WHAT HE SAID
“We are totally in line on Syria“
WHAT HE MEANT
Syria is, undoubtedly, an area of agreement for the duo. Both support the former Al-Qaeda member Ahmed al-Sharaa as Syria’s leader, despite ongoing issues over reconciling the country’s different communities.
Highlighting Syria seems to be a good way to paper over other Trump and Macron’s myriad other disagreements: Washington’s support for far-right movements in Europe, the French president’s desire to impose stricter regulation on tech giants, the Israel-Gaza war, climate change and the role of the United Nations, to name just a few.
On Iran
WHAT HE SAID
“We can do great things on Iran”
WHAT HE MEANT
Another thing Paris and Washington agree on … to a certain extent.
The G7 nations have threatened Iran with sanctions if the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tehran continues and the EU is also considering additional sanctions.
There are some quite substantial differences, however. The French do not support bombing Iran, something Trump has threatened to do.
Don’t forget, Paris helped forge the nuclear deal with Iran that Trump pulled out of during his first term.
Greenland
WHAT HE SAID
“I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland”
WHAT HE MEANT
This is Macron using his most euphemistic language during his direct conversation with Trump, about the subject roiling the global order right now.
France has publicly been much more forceful in response to the U.S. president’s threats to tariff European allies who do not support his designs on Greenland. Macron has pushed for the EU to unleash its Anti-Coercion Instrument, the the so-called trade bazooka, while other leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz want to give a chance to diplomacy.
France has also sent a small contingent of troops to Greenland and is planning to deploy land, sea and air forces, though the details remain unspecified.
