Macron and Trump discuss Ukraine war in White House meeting
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday that his meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, was "highly productive" and "cordial," amid tensions over Washington’s decision to negotiate directly with Moscow—bypassing European leaders and Kyiv—in an effort to end the war in Ukraine, according to Agerpres.
Presidents Macron and Trump met in the Oval Office of the White House during a G7 video conference, in which other leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Italy participated virtually. Initially, the French president was expected to join remotely, but he ultimately took the opportunity to attend in person while visiting Washington.
Macron is the first European leader Trump has received since returning to the White House on January 20. On Thursday, Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with whom Macron has been closely coordinating. London and Paris are working on deploying a European force in Ukraine once a peace agreement is reached, aiming to deter Russia from launching another attack. Both capitals seek firm security guarantees from the United States.
On social media, Macron announced that he would approach his meeting with Trump by appealing to his ego and convincing him that it is in the common interest of both Americans and Europeans not to show weakness in front of President Putin during U.S.-led negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
"Our commitment to Ukraine will remain steadfast. I am in Washington to reaffirm this and to move forward with President Trump and our allies," the French leader wrote on X, emphasizing that Ukraine is fighting "for its sovereignty and freedom."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
