US President Donald Trump and his recently sworn-in French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are to hold a "lengthy lunch" in Brussels this month, in a planned bonding exercise for two men the White House believes have more in common than is thought.
Amid deep-seated suspicions that Mr Trump would have preferred Mr Macron's far-right rival Marine Le Pen to emerge victorious from last week's election, senior US administration officials told AFP that Mr Trump will meet Mr Macron on 25 May in Brussels and "compare perspectives".
The White House believes the 39-year-old centrist and Mr Trump, 70, are not as uncomfortable allies as it first may seem.
"They are two of the newest leaders to the stage," said one senior administration official, who said a recent phone call went very well.
Mr Trump "was very impressed with Mr Macron," said the official, who had direct knowledge of the call.
Mr Trump, who regularly complains that he does not get enough credit for his election win, was particularly impressed with Mr Macron winning so many more votes than Ms Le Pen.
"It was clearly a very strong electoral win," said the official, who asked not to be named in order to discuss the call and other sensitive issues.
While their ideology may differ, both Mr Trump and Mr Macron "come from outside traditional political lines".
Mr Macron was the first candidate from outside the traditional political parties to win the French presidency in decades.
Mr Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, but has often shattered party orthodoxy.
The White House also believes that the idea Mr Trump supported Ms Le Pen was overdone, based only on "one tweet about borders" and Ms Le Pen turning up in Trump Tower.
Trump aides now stress that Ms Le Pen had no meeting with the campaign when she visited New York in January, much less with the now-president.
