Trump meets with Zelensky, Macron ahead of Notre Dame reopening

 President-elect Trump sat down with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Saturday’s reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The trio met inside the Elysee Palace, with photos showing Trump expressionless as Macron placed his hand on the arm of a seated Zelensky. The French president appeared to give Zelensky a reassuring look.

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Macron and Trump attend a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris.REUTERS

Trump touched down in Paris Orly Airport Saturday at the invitation of Macron. The cathedral was damaged by a devastating fire in 2019. The exact cause of the blaze has never been fully determined.

In advance of the ceremony Trump praised the French leader, proclaiming that he had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”

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Macron, Trump and Zelensky in Paris.REUTERS

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People walking in front of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, about to be officially reopened after five years of restoration post-April 2019 fire.POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Prince William is also scheduled to meet with First Lady Jill Biden and is expected to focus on the importance of the US-UK relationship, a spokesman for Kensington Palace told British media.

The trilateral meeting is the first face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Trump since the latter’s presidential election win in November.

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Macron, Trump and Zelensky in Paris.AFP via Getty Images

Trump had vowed to bring an end to the nearly three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by forcing a peace agreement, claiming on the campaign trail that he could end the conflict in one day owing to Kyiv’s reliance on US weaponry. 

Macron, Zelensky and other European leaders, however, are hoping to convince the president-elect not to abandon support for Ukraine in the ongoing fight and push for an end to the war that ultimately favors Kyiv once he takes over the White House in January. 

Earlier this week a Ukrainian delegation in Washington met with Rep. Mike Waltz the incoming national security advisor and Keith Kellogg, who Trump has named special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine and Russia have been embroiled in a years-long conflict, which Trump promised on the campaign trail he would bring to a speedy conclusion.

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Trump will be on hand to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral.Getty Images for Notre-Dame de Paris

Trump had famously strained relationships with European leaders during his first term in office, frequently clashing with them over issues like climate change and their contributions to NATO financing.

https://nypost.com/2024/12/07/us-news/trump-holds-trilateral-talks-with-zelensky-macron-in-paris/

Jihadists Near Damascus Outskirts; Likely Transition Of Power Deal, Assad's Fate Uncertain

 There are widespread reports that jihadist forces under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and which are backed by Turkey have entered key districts of Homs in central Syria, and other convoys have already reached the outskirts of Damascus.

Very little fighting has actually taken place, with the Syrian Army peeling back from position after position, and with heavy equipment including tanks seen being transported to the capital or in other instances to the coast. ZeroHedge's contacts in Damascus strongly suggest a transition of power deal has already been made.

External discussions are centered in Doha, and some premature and unverified reports have claimed President Bashar al-Assad has already flown out of the country; however, Syrian state SANA on Saturday sought to refute these reports, saying he is still in Damascus.

Iranian advisers and IRGC officers have departed Damascus. This also partly explains why Syrian national forces have not put up much of a fight.

Unverified social media reports further say that anti-Assad forces have essentially been able to walk into suburban or countryside areas of the capital with no resistance. Again, what points to the likely reality of a secret deal which allows Assad's safe exit and that of his top officials is the fact that all of this is happening without much bloodshed.

Below is the latest on the jihadist convoy locations according to The Guardian:

Syrian insurgents have reached the suburbs of Damascus, opposition activists and a rebel commander said on Saturday, as a rapidly moving offensive in which they have taken over some of Syria’s largest cities continued.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were active in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya.

He said opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria towards the Damascus suburb of Harasta.

Hassan Abdul-Ghani, an insurgent commander, posted on Telegram that opposition forces had started to encircle Damascus in the “final stage” of their offensive. He said fighters were heading from southern Syria towards Damascus.

Map: The collapse of Syria over the last 10 days

Whatever happens next, it is becoming clear that the Baathist Syrian state under the Assad family, which goes back to 1970 when Hafez Assad first emerged in power, will never be the same again - and is coming to a fast end.

Many Christian, Alawite, and Sunni ruling families in the capital area are fleeing to the Lebanese border, not waiting around to take their chances under Taliban-style rule, despite dubious claims that HTS plans to respect 'diversity' and pluralism.

Footage from a key suburbs outside the capital [note: cannot be independently verified]...

Contradictory reporting over Assad's whereabouts and political transition plans:

Regional war correspondent Elijah Magnier observes, "It looks like what will remain of the old Syria will be limited to Homs, for now, and on longer term Latakia - Tartous only. Lebanon should think about defended its borders. People in Damascus should think of their future in the next 24-48 hours."

The latest from the Syrian presidency's office:

Meanwhile the Syrian Interior Minister Major General Al-Rahmon vows that "there is a very strong security cordon on the outskirts of Damascus and no one can break it."

developing...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/jihadists-reach-outskirts-damascus-amid-likely-transition-power-deal-assads-fate

Europe's Industry Set To Suffer As Natural Gas Prices Surge

 by Svetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com,

Europe’s industry is set to lose further competitiveness as high energy prices, rising natural gas prices, and concerns about gas supply this winter are increasing uncertainty about factory utilization amid rising costs.

European benchmark natural gas prices are hovering around a one-year high hit last month as cold snaps in November dashed hopes and prayers of a third relatively mild winter in a row.

In recent weeks, Europe has been depleting its natural gas stocks at the fastest pace since 2016 as demand has increased with the colder temperatures.

This adds to the looming end of Russian pipeline gas supply to Europe via Ukraine after December 31 and growing competition for spot LNG supply with Asia for winter demand.

As a result, Dutch TTF Natural Gas Futures, the benchmark for Europe’s gas trading, jumped last month to a 2024 high and continued to rise in early December, boosting power prices across Europe and raising energy costs for businesses.

This winter could inflict more pain on industries relying on natural gas and force curtailments in production, analysts and industry executives have told Reuters.

The much higher energy costs in Europe are putting its industries at a disadvantage compared to the U.S., Asia, or the Middle East.

For example, the current Dutch hub price is almost five times higher than the benchmark U.S. natural gas price at Henry Hub.

The highest spot-based electricity prices in Europe since February 2023 threaten industrial production in key economies and loom large over business sentiment.

The rising energy costs threaten major European economies, just as Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, narrowly avoided a recession in the third quarter of the year.

Eurozone GDP grew by 0.4% in the third quarter, Eurostat’s flash estimate has shown. That was higher than expected as the two top economies, those of Germany and France, outperformed forecasts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/europes-industry-set-suffer-natural-gas-prices-surge

Novo Holdings' $16.5 bln Catalent buy wins EU antitrust approval

 Novo Holdings on Friday gained unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $16.5 bln acquisition of U.S. contract drug maker Catalent after EU regulators said they did not see any competition issues.

Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which makes the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, said it now expects to close the deal by year end.

"The proposed merger would not raise competition concerns on any of the markets examined in the EEA (European Economic Area) or on any substantial part of it," the European Commission said in a statement, confirming a Reuters story.

The EEA refers to the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The EU antitrust watchdog said there are sufficient competing alternatives in the market.

"With the European Commission's approval, we are one step closer to delivering the benefits of this transaction," said Jonathan Levy, senior partner at Novo Holdings.

Soaring sales of Wegovy have made Novo Nordisk Europe's most valuable company by market value.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/novo-holdings-16-5-billion-180450599.html