Sitting beside the French president, Mr Trump pointedly declined to call Vladimir Putin a dictator, saying “I don’t use those words lightly.” Mr Macron seemed cautiously upbeat about his visit to the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with US President Donald Trump as they met at the White House on Monday. The two leaders also gave a message of support to Pope Francis in response to a reporter's question.

President Donald Trump on Monday called his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron an "important step" toward achieving permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine soon.