The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking to discourage American space companies from participating in an international summit called for by Emmanuel Macron and hosted by Paris next week, according to what was reported by the Politico website. The website quoted sources as saying that the White House warned that participation might be interpreted as “implicit support for the political positions of the European Union.”
Published on: 09/03/2026 - 08:14
The American "Politico" website reported that the White House has called on American space companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, not to participate in the international space summit called for by Emmanuel Macron, which is scheduled to be held in Paris next week.
The website stated that a phone call took place between an entity affiliated with the White House and several space companies, including SpaceX, “during which it appeared that the (US) administration was discouraging participation in the event,” claiming that this “may be interpreted as implicit support for the political positions of the European Union.”
Politico indicated that it relied on three sources who preferred not to reveal their identities, two of whom were connected to the space sector and the third was active in the political field.
Based on these sources, a White House official stressed during the phone conversation that “France did not coordinate with the United States, and accused it of anti-competitive practices, and the workshops were not designed to take into account the American point of view,” according to Politico.
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The French news agency tried to inquire, but the White House did not want to comment immediately.
The concerned party responded to the Politico website by saying, “The Trump administration continues to cooperate with its allies and partners in the field of space,” adding that it looks forward to holding “fruitful discussions in Paris on key priorities, such as space missions, exploration programs, and space security.”
This summit, jointly chaired by France and Germany, is expected to be held at the Grand Palais in Paris on September 9-10. It aims to bring world leaders around one table for the first time to discuss challenges related to the use of space.
France 24/AFP
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