The core issues at stake as Trump plans to meet Macron

The president will meet with the French president in Paris.

It’s his third trip abroad as president, and despite its brevity, it is an important one. As Trump celebrates America’s oldest ally’s most important national holiday, he will also face an array of tough issues.

Here’s what you need to know:

RUSSIA QUESTIONS

That means that his press conference alongside President Macron will be the first time he faces cameras and takes questions about that meeting and much more. His and his inner circle’s alleged ties to Russia have dogged his presidency since the start, and with a Justice Department and two Congressional investigations, even a trip overseas won’t bring reprieve.

Trump’s position on Putin may also face scrutiny from the French press -- and the French leader. While Trump wants to work with Putin and has not criticized his rule of Russia, Macron has had a more muscular approach to Russia, criticizing its support for the Assad regime in Syria and its treatment of gay men and trans people in Chechnya. Macron may try to firm up Trump’s stance as Western powers seek solutions to the crisis in Ukraine and Syria where Russia has been heavily involved.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

At their first one-on-one meeting, it was the handshake seen around the world -- a six-second, iron-gripped shake with jaws clenched and faces tightened. Many took it as a sign of icy relations between the 71-year old American and the 39-year old Frenchman, who have different views on seemingly everything, especially after Trump praised Macron’s opponent Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election.

Macron has signaled that he doesn’t dwell on the past, so despite some awkwardness, deepening their relationship will be crucial for both during the brief trip. A senior Trump administration official said, "Their chemistry is quite positive and very good."

While Macron will look to forge a stronger bond with Trump, there may be someone else who can’t: The city of Paris. Trump has insulted the city on a handful of occasions, often referring to his friend Jim who apparently no longer travels to the City of Lights after years of vacationing there.

“Paris is no longer Paris,” Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. The comments had raised the ire of Paris’s mayor and France’s foreign minister in the past, and just 14% of France has confidence Trump would do the right thing in world affairs, according to Pew Research Center.

In terms of issues on the agenda, there is plenty for the two men to discuss, but no topic divides them more than climate change. The U.S. was ostracized from a G-20 statement expressing support for the Paris climate accord, but Macron may push to change Trump’s mind.

"Sometimes Trump makes decisions we don't like, such as on climate, but we can deal with it in two ways: we can say, 'We are not going to talk to you,' or we can offer you our hand to bring you back into the circle," government spokesman Christophe Castaner told French news channel LCI.

A senior administration official said it's possible Macron will bring up the issue, "And if he does, the President has spoken on the issue a number of times, and he’ll be ready to engage on that as well."

Climate change isn’t the only area of difference. Macron, an unapologetic globalist, doesn’t agree with Trump’s nationalist, anti-trade stance, and the young pro-European Union president differs with Trump’s closed borders, anti-refugee positions. It’s doubtful he can change Trump’s mind on anything, but they’ll likely take both issues head on.

COUNTERTERRORISM & OTHER AREAS OF AGREEMENT

A victim of several terrorist attacks itself, France also has close intelligence ties to the U.S. as both countries try to root out terror networks and prevent future plots on their soil.