Im katty kay in washington, Christian Fraser is off this week. Hes in france but hes not hanging out with the new french president thats what Vladimir Putins been doing today. The two leaders had a get to know you meeting at versailles. And you really have to wonder how cordial it was given that days before the French Election mr macron Accused Moscow of interfering in his poll. At a tense press conference, Vladimir Putin insisted any implication of russian meddling was rubbish. From paris, Lucy Williamson reports. Despite the sweltering weather, this meeting held A Touch Of Frost from the start. At the entrance to frances versailles palace, the two leaders greeted each other with brief handshakes and small grin smiles. Two hours later after their first meeting, the mood was, if anything, even cooler. France and russia have backed different groups in the syrian conflict. Emmanuel macron said that while france did not want to destabilise the syrian state they were red lines that must not be crossed. I stress in my meeting with president putin are Firm Rejection there is a clear red line that exist on our part, the use of Chemical Weapons by whoever it may be. The use of Chemical Weapons will be the object of immediate retaliation on the part of the french. The two leaders are also divided over the situation in ukraine with the russian president condemning the sanctions imposed on his country as a result of the crisis the sanctions against russia are not helping to find a solution to ukraine. We must fight to list these economic restrictions. This is these economic restrictions. This is the only way we can be more free and be able to restore peace in the region. Mr putin also denied any interference in frances president ial race despite accusations by Emmanuel Macron. Translation he banned to russian agencies covering his campaign, calling them of propaganda. There is an exhibition on 300 years of france and russian ties here was meant to highlight the relationship between the two countries. More recent events have made this a stiff and awkward meeting and it showed. Joining us now from london is andrew jack, a journalist with the financial times, who was the papers Moscow Bureau chief and also paris correspondent. You looked at that press conference. How tense didnt seem when they got onto involvement in a french pretty frosty. We had Handshake Diplomacy and this time around there was a little bit more assertiveness than the famous handshake between Emmanuel Macron and donald trump but Emmanuel Macron and donald trump but Emmanuel Macron and donald trump but Emmanuel Macron did his best to hold his ground and draw a number of distinctions on syria but also the question of the elections and his justification of the decision to ban a couple of Russian Media outlets. I know after the election there was a lot of heated rhetoric from Emmanuel Macrons camp. Do russia and france need a reset on their relationship . We have to work on some issues like ukraine but with so much political mistrust because of interference in the vote, how much can they actually achieve on other things . This is a good initiative. Angela merkel knows Emmanuel Macron very well and those who stalemate in relations. It needs formal and informal contact so Emmanuel Macron really took the lead to leap ahead of putins meeting at the t20 and develop a relationship that had got very cold under his predecessor Francois Hollande including after the bombing of syria, the use of Chemical Weapons and the decision at that point in 0ctober and the decision at that point in october to cancel a previous visit by Vladimir Putin to paris. |j october to cancel a previous visit by Vladimir Putin to paris. I was struck by something the Russian Ambassador to paris said ahead of the meeting. He seems to suggest he got Emmanuel Macron would be more flexible on the issue of syria. You heard Emmanuel Macron say there were red lines that Chemical Weapons and france wouldnt hesitate to intervene if syria crossed them will stop what did the Russian Ambassador mean by that . What is president macron prepared to give on to russia on syria that he wouldnt have done . Both sides are trying to create opportunities for negotiation and flexibility. The red line seems to be on Chemical Weapons. The shock and disgust that even change Donald Trumps opinions for the current regime but prior to the french president ial elections, Emmanuel Macron seemed president ial elections, Emmanuel Macron seemed more president ial elections, Emmanuel Macron seemed more open to the idea of new routes towards easing sanctions against russia for example. Its not quite clear what his stance is on continuing to cooperate with assad or if there is some possibility for discussion to ta ke some possibility for discussion to take place before assads departure which previously was being pushed for. Kristian is off this week, but im happy to see our political a nalyst im happy to see our political analyst is going to be with me for the next four days. Ron, you heard andrew jack talking about the next four days. Ron, you heard andrewjack talking about president putins involvement in the French Election, i imagine coming out of the American Election you might have some questions for the russian leader. No question about it. Good afternoon, were going to have fun this week there is no doubt Vladimir Putin has had a strong hand in influencing the election here, the hacking of the dnc, of Hillary Clintons campaign manager. The question for me when i look at this is, where else is likely putin trying to destabilise the region in europe and elsewhere and why . One area will be looking at is germany and Angela Merkel im sure is watching that, too. She is fast emerging as a european thorn in Donald Trumps side. She doubled down today on criticism of americas president and his policies on climate change. The german chancellor has dumped diplomatic niceties since the tense g7 meeting last week. Today she said it was right not to gloss over differences with the us, which follows her weekend comments that europe could no longer completely rely on its allies. Translation we europeans must really ta ke translation we europeans must really take her feet into our own hands,in really take her feet into our own hands, in friendship with the United States of course our fate, and with the United Kingdom and even with the United Kingdom and even with russia but we have two now we must fight for our own future on our own, for her destiny as europeans and thats what i want to do, together with you. For our destiny. So, how are chancellor merkels comments going down around the globe . Im joined now by william cohen, former us Defense Secretary under president clinton and now a bbc World Affairs analyst. When you listen to what Angela Merkel has said and her take on how the g7 merkel has said and her take on how the g 7 meetings went and Donald Trumps trip to europe, what do you make of it . How do you compare it to his visit to saudi arabia . He was well received in saudi arabia. His trip went quite well throughout the Re St Of Trip went quite well throughout the rest of the Travel Schedule except when it got to brussels and there he made a mistake In Myjudgment in not reaffirming americas commitment to article five of the nato treaty. That was something the europeans are anxious to hear because they have had from spokesmen theyre spokesmen, Vice President pence during the conference in munich, but they were unsure of what the president himself felt. He more or less reaffirmed their doubts and scepticism during that meeting, pointing out that they had to pay up there do is and thats not something anyone would disagree with, but that was not the place to do it, in a public forum, to focus on what they have not done as opposed to what they are doing today and what will hopefully do tomorrow so i think he upset the europeans and i think that contributed to Angela Merkels statement that they had to go out on their own. The only people who could ta ke their own. The only people who could take any kind ofjoy in that is president putin and im sure hes breaking open the vodka as we speak because this is something he has longed to do, break the transatlantic connection between the United States and our european friends. You make the point that the europeans carry some of the burden of this and should have paid more of the Defence Budgets into natos coppers. Is it alarmist at this stage in President Trumps presidency to suggest the post 2nd world war order, the alliances that we have grown used that that produced stability on both sides of the continent, are up for review at the continent, are up for review at the moment . Are we looking at a shake up of that order . The moment . Are we looking at a shakeup of that order . Is to be determined. It is to be determined. It is to be determined. It is important for the us to reaffirm the transatlantic bond and for anyone to suggest that its no longer as relevant or needed, the notion that we are a mess and i mercenary military, like its a fee, you pay up and get protection, that to me is undermining not only European Security but american security. I dont want to see us take the position of America First and america alone. No one wants to see america alone. No one wants to see america is second, but we can only be first if we have the support of oui be first if we have the support of our allies and to the extent you ta ke our allies and to the extent you take any action, see anything that undermines that link, and youre painting us at greater risk as well as our allies. Im sure its a maximum of american republicans that when theyre together, they will talk. Im very curious, you were one of the erased republicans during the Watergate Scandal to call for the impeachment of president nixon. Some are talking about impeachment and starting the process. 0ther any parallels you can drop between what happened in the 70s to what were seeing with President Trump and the calls for the democrats calling for his impeachment . First, it is premature for anyone to talk about impeachment. There are certain parallels that have been taken by this administration and what the Nixon Administration did but there are also closer parallels to the iran contra scandal, which i was involved in, too. The issue for me in terms of the potential Abuse Of Process or the covering up of president ial staff activity is of concern. For example, President Trump has fired three of the top investigators looking into the russian connection. Three of his closest advisers have failed to disclose that they had any connection, any conferences with the russians. That would include the attorney general, it would include mr kushner and also includes general flynn, so those three individuals all fields to acknowledge they had met with russians all of them failed to acknowledge they had met with russians. There is nothing wrong with setting up a separate channel to communicate with the russians. The problem is, there is so russians. The problem is, there is so much doubt hanging over what the russian influence has been. We know, oui russian influence has been. We know, our Intelligence Agencies have certified, they have tried to influence and attacked our democratic system. We know that. We should lease acknowledge that from the highest levels including the president so the question is, what was really being communicated . What will be trying to do with the russians that couldnt wait until after the president was sworn in and why did we have to go to the russians and easily use their encrypted Communication Facilities . Those questions cast a cloud over the administration and its not going to go away until we have much more forthcoming information. Dont about impeachment, dont talk about scandal, led the Special Council do their work. Thank you very much. The secretary was referring to these latest reports that Jared Krishna, the son in law of the president , went to the russians and said could he set up a private Communications Channel with moscow during the transition and that has put the spotlight again on ties between russia and the Trump White House so i guess the question for you is, how serious is this for the president . We know that mr trump releases statement in support of his son in law and said he is total confidence in him, adding that he is doing a greatjob for the country. What are you hearing from the white house about this . And healing is very serious. I spoke to number of officials and the white house week Behind Closed Doors and will tell you it is creating a cloud of suspicion over the white house but theyre worried about mr kushners rule. There is a very broad portfolio in the white house and ive heard he walks in the room and since he is the master of everything but has never served in government. Witnesses Knowledge Base coming from how to act to navigate these very tricky waters . I look at the support and its not good. These reports. After a successful Foreign Policy trip, they dont need to come home and deal with these domestic issues, whos doing what with the russians and why . As a waitress giving you any explanation as to why Jared Krishna would want to setup back communications with moscow other than the want to avoid being targeted by Us Intelligence . No one really wa nted targeted by Us Intelligence . No one really wanted to talk about as to why he was trying to have those Channel Communications but certainly having worked in the white house for four years, i having worked in the white house for fouryears, ican having worked in the white house for four years, i can tell you that during the transition, you are trying to bring the administration up trying to bring the administration up to speed so that onjanuary 20, you can hit the ground running. What is the need to have those back Channel Communications with the russians that are off the grid, u nless russians that are off the grid, unless of course maybe you dont wa nt unless of course maybe you dont want our government to officially nor those contacts . Theres going to bea nor those contacts . Theres going to be a lot more questions about that. It is memorial day here in america, a Public Holiday to remember the war veterans. President trump went to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath for the fallen. Its his first public event since he got back from his foreign trip. Here that this hallowed shrine, we honour the most noble among us, the men and women who paid the ultimate price for victory and for freedom. We paid tribute to those brave souls who roared into battle and ran into hell to face down evil. We wa nted we wanted to give to the state of the us military. In iraq nearly 4,500 us soldiers have been killed since the us led invasion of 2003. And the number of us Military Deaths in afghanistan stands at over 2,000. And heres a look at how much the us and some other countries spent on their military last year. The us committed 61 billion to Military Spending in 2016,15 billion more than the previous year. China was quite a way behind the us, but still with a total of 215 billion. Then theres a big drop to russia, which spent a total of 69 billion on its military. Saudi arabia spent almost 61; bil