Reopning of Notre-Dame Cathedral, unplanned Macron-Trump-Zelensky trilateral meeting

[Anchor]

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was severely damaged by a fire five years ago, has reopened after restoration work.

President-elect Donald Trump made an appearance at the event, drawing attention.

This is reporter Ahn Da-young.

[Report]

Flames enguled the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris during restoration work, leaving its spire collapsed and parts of the building destroyed.

After more than five years of restoration work, it has returned to the public.

The cathedral's doors are now opened wide, starting with the ringing of bells and a ceremonial opening by the Archbishop of Paris.

At the reopening ceremony, 160 firefighters who fought against the flames during the fire marched inside the cathedral, receiving applause.

At this time, the word for "thank you" in French was displayed on the outer wall of the cathedral.

Around 4,000 people gathered around the cathedral to watch the ceremony on a large screen set up outside.

[Eloise Mathet/Paris Citizen: "It was very hard to see the Notre-Dame Cathedral burning. It was like a library was disappearing. I'm glad to be here for the reopening."]

The restored interior of the cathedral has been brightened up, shedding its old grime, and the blackened stained glass rose windows have regained their vibrant colors.

The 96-meter spire, which was completely destroyed in the fire, and the wooden roof supporting it have been restored to their former appearance.

Starting with the first public mass for ordinary worshippers on the evening of the 8th local time, the cathedral will be open to the public until 10 PM for the next week.

Pope Francis conveyed a message to welcome everyone who visits the cathedral for free.

[Celestino Miglior/ Papal Nuncio/Reading Pope's Message: "I believe you will open the doors wide for them and welcome them generously."]

The reopening ceremony was attended by key figures from around the world, including President-elect Trump, First Lady Jill Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who were on their first overseas schedule.

This is Ahn Da-young reporting from Paris for KBS News.


[Anchor]

As you saw, French President Macron, President-elect Trump, and Ukrainian President Zelensky had a trilateral meeting during the Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening event.

Let's connect live to get more details.

Ahn Da-young, it seems significant that President-elect Trump and President Zelensky met, but there was no prior plan for this, right?

[Report]

Initially, it was announced that President Macron would only have one-on-one meetings with each of the two leaders.

However, during the meeting with President Trump, President Macron actively persuaded him to also meet with President Zelensky, resulting in Trump agreeing to the trilateral meeting at the last minute.

The trilateral meeting lasted about 35 minutes.

There were no public statements after the meeting.

After the meeting, President Trump wrote on social media that he wants the war to end as soon as possible and in a just manner.

President Zelensky also stated that it was a productive and good meeting.

[Volodymyr Zelensky/Ukrainian President: "We only talked about Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and how to support them."]

In particular, President Trump emphasized an immediate ceasefire in a post on social media this morning, local time, urging Russian President Putin to make a decision.

As a result, local media are analyzing the trilateral meeting as a message to pressure Russia.

However, the meeting was so brief that it is also assessed that it may have only covered general topics and conveyed Ukraine's position.

This has been a report from Paris.