Macron, Trump Discuss Ukraine Peace Amid Transatlantic Concerns
French President Emmanuel Macron met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, to discuss securing a lasting peace in the region, Al Jazeera reports.
Macron stated that a “common objective” was to build “a solid and longstanding peace” in Ukraine and emphasized the need for guarantees to stabilize the situation. He also conveyed Europe’s willingness to increase its role in defense, security, trade, economy, and investments.
The meeting occurs amid growing European concerns regarding transatlantic relations under Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and his push for a swift resolution to the Ukraine war.
Trump acknowledged that “a lot of progress has been made” toward ending the conflict.
“I am pleased that President Macron agrees that the cost and burden of securing the peace must be borne by the nations of Europe, not alone by the United States,” he said at a news conference, adding, “Europe must take that central role in ensuring long-term security of Ukraine, which they want to do.”
The two leaders’ meeting follows Trump’s recent criticisms of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump previously referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” and assigned blame to Ukraine for the war.
Macron stated that Europe was prepared to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including the potential deployment of peacekeepers in the event of a ceasefire. Trump indicated that Washington supported the idea of European peacekeeping troops, stating he had discussed it with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Putin would accept the proposal.
