Zelenskyy is expected at opening of Notre-Dame - Le Monde

On Saturday, December 7, the opening of the reconstructed Notre-Dame Cathedral will take place in Paris. The ceremony will be attended by newly elected US President Donald Trump, who will make his first foreign visit after winning the election.

Around forty heads of state and government are also expected to be present.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to visit.

"He will meet with President (Emmanuel) Macron. Other meetings are also possible, including with newly elected President Donald Trump," a source told the news agency.

So far, it is confirmed that the following leaders will attend: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Croatian President Zoran Milanović, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Estonian President Alar Karis, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be present.

At the same time, during a press conference in Kyiv today, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi neither confirmed nor denied the likelihood of a meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump in Paris.

“Let this information remain in the media for now, and wait for the official level,” Tikhyi said.

Fire at Notre-Dame de Paris

In April 2019, a major fire broke out at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The cause was attributed to an issue with the electrical system. Firefighters worked for 14 hours to extinguish the blaze.

The cathedral sustained significant damage, and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the restoration would be completed in five years.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, also known as Notre-Dame de Paris, is a Catholic church in the heart of Paris and one of the symbols of the French capital. It serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris. The Gothic cathedral was built at the initiative of Parisian bishop Maurice de Sully between 1163 and 1345.