Donald Trump suggested to Emmanuel Macron that he pull France out of the European Union in return for a bilateral trade deal, it has been claimed.

The offer, aimed at destroying the Europe alliance, was reported to have been made during a private meeting when Macron visited the White House at the end of April.



The Washington Post said the US president asked Macron: “Why don’t you leave the European Union?” In return, Trump suggested the US could offer France a substantial bilateral trade deal.



The article claimed that Trump promised to give France better trade terms than the EU as a whole gets from the US.



The columnist at the Washington Post, Josh Rogin, cited two unnamed European officials as the source of his report, adding that the proposition revealed “a basic lack of understanding of Macron’s views and those of the people who elected him”. It was “an instance of the president of the United States offering an incentive to dismantle an organsation of America’s allies, against stated US government policy”.

Neither the White House nor the Elysée Palace has confirmed the report or commented, but the offer is consistent with Trump’s wider suspicion of international organisations and treaties.

Since taking office, Trump has questioned America’s membership of Nato, withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and earlier this month withdrew the US from the United Nations human rights council. In the last few weeks he has taken a tough line with Canada and Mexico in the hope of forcing them to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).

Play Video 0:14 Trump and Macron share an awkward handshake and a kiss - video

Instead, the US president has promoted “America first” policies, insisting that foreign countries – allies and adversaries alike – have been taking advantage of the US.

While imposing trade tariffs on countries and the EU, he told some of his country’s closest allies that they might lose access to American markets if they did not reduce tariffs on US companies’ services and goods.

The Washington Post said Trump was attempting to inflict “enormous” but pointless damage on European allies.

“Trump has been trashing the EU and Nato since his campaign, but the pace and viciousness of his attacks have increased,” Rogin wrote. “Trump doesn’t believe in the continued sanctity of the European Union and Nato as well as the United States’ commitment to both.”

He added that Trump’s “intentional and egregious actions to undermine the EU, Nato and the United States relationship with both can no longer be discounted, rationalised or seen as anything but what they are – a brazen attempt to undo the strategic infrastructure both America and Europe need more than ever”.