WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said he will impose a 200 per cent tariff on French wines and champagnes, a move he claimed would push French President Emmanuel Macron to join Trump’s “board of peace” initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts.
When asked by a reporter about Macron saying he will not join the board, Trump said: “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon.”
“I’ll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said.
France intends to decline the invitation to join the initiative at this stage, a source close to Macron said on Monday.
Trump originally proposed establishing the board when he announced last September his plan to end the war in Gaza. But an invitation sent to world leaders last week outlines a broad role ending conflicts globally.
A draft charter sent to about 60 countries by the US administration calls for members to contribute US$1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters.
Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to Trump’s invitation, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations.
On Monday, Trump also said he has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a member of the peace board. “He’s been invited,” Trump said.