French president Emmanuel Macron has defended his idea of a European military force, while at a news conference with Donald Trump.

A day before the meeting, the US president had lashed out at Macron's idea that the EU needed a joint army to handle threats from the US, China and Russia.

But Mr Macron and Mr Trump spoke warmly of the friendship between France and the US and of the importance of co-operation on security and terrorism.

And the briefing ended with Macron patting Trump's leg.