As the leaders arrived for one of the main working sessions, video footage captured President Trump walking slightly ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Upon entering the meeting area, Trump briefly stood near a large central table, appearing to pause and observe the room before the other leaders joined him. The moment was widely shared online as cameras documented the informal dynamics between the attending heads of state.
Attention increased when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen entered the room and approached the group. In a sequence that quickly drew commentary, she greeted President Trump with a handshake and exchanged brief words before moving on. Moments later, she greeted President Macron in a noticeably warmer manner, including a smile and a traditional double-cheek greeting, a customary gesture in many European diplomatic settings.
Photos and video from the summit also showed von der Leyen embracing other leaders, including President Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in similarly warm exchanges. These contrasting greetings were noted by observers and widely discussed in media coverage of the summit’s interpersonal dynamics.
During a bilateral meeting earlier on June 15, President Trump spoke about recent international developments, mentioning that he had held discussions with both President Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He indicated that, following other ongoing global issues, attention would increasingly return to the conflict in Ukraine and related diplomatic efforts.
