{"id":323212,"date":"2017-05-28T14:07:42","date_gmt":"2017-05-28T14:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=323212"},"modified":"2017-05-28T14:07:42","modified_gmt":"2017-05-28T14:07:42","slug":"macron-awkward-trump-handshake-a-moment-of-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=323212","title":{"rendered":"Macron: Awkward Trump handshake a ‘moment of truth’"},"content":{"rendered":"

French President Emmanuel Macron has said his clenched handshake with Donald Trump was “not innocent” and was a “moment of truth”.<\/p>\n

The awkward encounter saw each grip the other’s hand so firmly that their knuckles turned white .<\/p>\n

Mr Macron told French media he had wanted to “show he would not make small concessions, not even symbolic ones, but also not overdo things”.<\/p>\n

The leaders met in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a Nato summit.<\/p>\n

As their vigorous handshake continued over several seconds, Mr Macron and Mr Trump also looked each other fixedly in the eyes until the US president attempted to disengage.<\/p>\n

Mr Macron told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper his approach to the encounter had been about getting respect.<\/p>\n

“Donald Trump, the Turkish president or the Russian president see things in terms of power relationships, which doesn’t bother me,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I don’t believe in diplomacy through public criticism but in my bilateral dialogues I don’t let anything pass. That is how you get respect.”<\/p>\n

Pressing the flesh<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Trump’s hand contact with foreign leaders has been closely scrutinised since he took power.<\/p>\n