U.S. President Donald Trump made a sharp statement directed at his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, threatening to impose 200% tariffs on wine and champagne produced in France.
Trump made these remarks after it became known that Macron might refuse the invitation to participate in the World Council on Gaza, as reported by Bloomberg.
“He is not needed by anyone, as he will soon leave his position. I will implement 200% tariffs on his [French] wines and champagne, and he will agree [to join the World Council],” Trump told reporters.
Additionally, Trump published a message from Macron on his social media.
In this message, the French president expresses his confusion over Trump's actions regarding Greenland and proposes to organize a series of meetings, including a personal dinner in Davos.
Macron is also willing to invite representatives from Ukraine and Russia to these meetings.
“My friend,
We completely agree on Syria. We can do a lot of good regarding Iran. I do not understand what you are doing with Greenland.
Let’s try to implement major ideas:
1. I can organize a G7 meeting in Paris after Davos on Thursday, inviting Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians, and Russians - on the sidelines.
2. Let’s have dinner together in Paris on Thursday before you return to the U.S.,” Macron's message states.
According to Bloomberg, Macron does not intend to accept Trump's invitation to join the World Council. This decision became known on January 19. The French president believes that the charter of the new organization goes beyond the issues of the Gaza sector, as initially assumed. The intentions of Macron were also reported by Le Monde, citing a source close to the president.
The establishment of the World Council was announced by Trump on January 16, the same day its executive committee was presented, which included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. According to the charter, the Council will initially focus on addressing issues in the Gaza sector and then move on to other conflicts.
According to Bloomberg, the Trump administration requires countries wishing to obtain a permanent seat on the Council to contribute at least $1 billion. The charter also states that the first chairman of the Council will be Trump himself, who will determine who can join the organization and will have the authority to approve or reject decisions made by majority vote.
