French President Emmanuel Macron used the "ring a friend" chance after he was struck on New York's roads after being blocked by the US President's motorcade.
In the viral videos circulating the internet, the French president could be seen getting out of his car to talk to police officers after they stopped his vehicle to make way for the expected arrival of the motorcade of Donald Trump, the US president.
The footage shows Macron telling the NYPD officer that he needs to get to the French embassy.
"I'm sorry, president, I'm really sorry, everything has been frozen, there's a motorcade coming right now,” the officer informed the French leader.
The president then looks out over the empty street and replies, "If you don't see it, let me cross. I'll negotiate with you."
Macron, who remains stuck behind a metal barrier, takes out his phone and appears to call Trump directly. Leaning on the barrier, he teases, "How are you? Guess what? I'm waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you."
The bizarre incident occurred after he made a speech to the UN on recognising Palestine as a state while co-chairing the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
Later, Macron was allowed to leave on foot with his full security protocol and walked for around half an hour. While making his way to the consulate, he stopped and posed with passersby who asked for photographs.
"The time has come to end the war in Gaza, the massacres and the death," Macron had said during his opening speech to a special summit at the UN on Monday evening.
He added, "The time has come to do justice for the Palestinian people and thus to recognise the state of Palestine in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem."
Announcing France's official recognition of Palestine, the president set out a plan for a UN-mandated international stabilisation force in postwar Gaza that is expected to find support in many countries but not in Israel or the US.
