Emmanuel Macron demonstrated cordiality towards Donald Trump, but also did not miss the opportunity to emphasize that Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine. The two seem to have reached a consensus. What did they say?
This was an attempt by French President Emmanuel Macron to divert his American counterpart Donald Trump from his previously extremely pro-Russian positions, to bring him back to Ukraine and thus attract the Europeans to the negotiating table. It was also an attempt to save the transatlantic alliance.
Trump and the French head of state discussed the possibilities of negotiations to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine, which it attacked. The two leaders met in Washington, where Macron appeared optimistic after his talks with Trump. According to the French president, "significant progress" has been made. Macron even said that he believed there was a turning point in this discussion.
Russia is the aggressor, Europe has covered 60% of the aid to Ukraine
Trump and Macron discussed specific plans to achieve lasting peace. Ukraine is also included in the preparation of this plan, Macron stressed. Trump confirmed that his goal is "achieving a ceasefire and ultimately lasting peace". He said the meeting with Macron was a step in that direction.
Although the two leaders demonstrated warm relations, Macron also openly contradicted Trump, making it clear that Russia is the aggressor in this war, not Ukraine. And when Trump again stated that the US had invested much more money in Ukraine than Europe, Macron replied: "No, the fact is that, to be honest, we paid 60 percent of the total effort."
Is a ceasefire possible soon?
Trump believes that a ceasefire is more likely than a lasting peace. "It would be nice if an agreement for a lasting peace could be reached immediately. But a ceasefire is always faster". Even before the press conference, the American head of state said that the war could end "within a few weeks".
Later, Macron gave an interview to the American television channel "Fox News", in which he said that he shared Trump's opinion that a ceasefire could be reached soon. "It is possible. I think it could happen in the next few weeks.
Macron insists on security guarantees for Kiev
Macron insisted that Kiev must participate in talks to end the war. "We want peace. But this peace cannot mean the capitulation of Ukraine," he said. Ukraine needs security guarantees - so that a lasting solution is possible, not just a short-term ceasefire.
Together with its British partners, France has been discussing in recent weeks what these guarantees should be, including the deployment of peacekeeping troops to ensure a possible ceasefire. Unexpectedly, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "accept" European peacekeeping troops to be deployed in Ukraine. According to the American president, he asked his Russian counterpart, who "had no problem with it".
At the same time, Putin commented on his talks with the United States, but did not mention anything about a peacekeeping mission. However, he said that he believes that representatives of Europe should sit at the negotiating table.