French President Emmanuel Macron has said that respect is crucial in relations between countries. His statement comes at a time when US President Donald Trump leaked private messages between the two leaders. Macron, who is on a three-day visit to India, made this statement on Indian podcaster Raj Shamani’s show. He was asked how he felt about the leak of his private messages. Macron did not directly mention Trump by name, but he did say that mutual respect is essential in diplomacy. Macron said that whether countries agree or disagree, their views should be expressed with respect. Expressing disagreement is not wrong, but the method should be correct. Macron took a dig at Trump, saying that some leaders seem to be moving backward instead of forward. A screenshot of Macron’s message: Trump leaked Macron’s private message on January 20. In that message, Macron told Trump that he did not understand what Trump wanted to do regarding Greenland. He also spoke about working together in the future and suggested hosting a G7 meeting. He also said that countries like Ukraine, Denmark, Syria, and Russia could be included in this meeting. Macron said, “There’s no need for violence and insults.” Macron also stated in the podcast that in a democracy, people have the right to change their leaders, so there’s no need for violence and insults. He is committed to fighting against hate speech and violence in society. When the French president was asked whether the world needs to fear America’s current leadership, he said that in today’s circumstances, it’s a bit surprising that some leaders seem to be moving backwards instead of forward. Trump threatened a 200% tariff on French wine. Trump and Macron have had a long-standing feud, but the recent dispute escalated when France declined Trump’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace,” which was created for the development of Gaza. Several countries, including France, expressed concern that the board’s document did not explicitly mention Gaza and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Trump subsequently threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne, saying it would put pressure on Macron. Trump later shared private messages between the two on his social media platform, Truth Social, in which Macron expressed concern about America’s interest in Greenland. France is known as the wine capital of the world. French wine and champagne are renowned worldwide. Wine is considered an important part of French wine culture. France is known as the wine capital of the world. French wines include a variety of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines. French wines are made from grapes grown in various regions of France. French wines typically have no bubbles. They are still wines with an alcohol content of 11-15%. Their quality depends on the soil, climate, and grape variety. France is the second largest wine producer in the world, after Italy. In 2025, global wine production was estimated to be approximately 23.2 trillion milliliters, with France producing 3.59 trillion milliliters, representing approximately 15-16% of the world’s total. Trump and Macron have clashed repeatedly. US President Donald Trump and French President Macron have clashed repeatedly in recent times. 1. Board of Peace Dispute (2026) When Trump created the “Board of Peace” for the development of Gaza, France refused to join. Several countries, including France, stated that the board’s document did not explicitly mention Gaza and the Israel-Palestine conflict. 2. Rhetoric Regarding Greenland (2026) Differences emerged between the two leaders regarding US interest in Greenland. In a message shared by Trump, Macron expressed his concern about Greenland. 3. Tensions Over Trade and Tariffs: Trump threatened to impose heavy tariffs on French products, particularly wine and champagne, stating that this would put pressure on France. France expressed displeasure over this. 4. NATO and Defense Spending (2018–2019) Trump repeatedly states that European countries are spending less on NATO and that the US is overburdened. Macron once even called NATO “brain-dead.” Trump reacted strongly to this statement, leading to a public debate between the two. 5. Digital Tax Dispute (2019) France decided to impose a digital tax on major US tech companies. Trump called this a move against US companies and threatened to impose tariffs on French goods. The matter was later resolved to some extent through negotiations. 6. Iran Nuclear Deal (2018) Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and major world powers. Macron wanted the agreement to remain in place and tried to persuade Trump, but he was unsuccessful. 7. Paris Climate Agreement (2017) Trump had decided to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. Macron openly opposed this and gave the slogan ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’, which was considered a taunt on Trump’s election slogan. ——————- Read this news also… India participated in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting: ₹1.5 lakh crore relief package announced for Gaza; representatives from 50 countries arrived India participated as an observer country in the first meeting of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ on Thursday. This meeting was held in Washington DC. On behalf of India, Charge d’Affaires (senior officer) posted at the Indian Embassy, Namgya C Khampa participated. Read the full news…
