French President Emmanuel Macron's diplomacy during the short month of February was to be marked by two pre-planned major events - a Paris summit on artificial intelligence and a state visit to Portugal.
The second of these two long-planned events ended on February 28. Macron's two-day visit to the Land of Carnations was de facto his fourth visit there since he was elected president in 2017, but it was the first French presidential state visit since Jacques Chirac's in 1999. The visit was an opportunity to give new impetus to bilateral relations and to mark the depth of the ties between the two countries. Two million people of Portuguese origin live in France. France is also the largest employer in Portugal, where 1,200 French companies with 10,000 employees are present. Among the main topics that Macron discussed with Portuguese leaders were defense, ocean protection, and the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence. In Lisbon, Macron met with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luiz Montenegro, spoke to the Portuguese parliament, and a state dinner was held in his honor at the Ajuda Palace. On the second day of the visit, Macron went to Porto, where he signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation between France and Portugal with Portuguese Prime Minister Montenegro. The two countries also concluded other agreements in various areas, summarize Agence France-Presse, Luiza and “Portugal News“. From Portugal, Macron also called on Europeans not to be content with the role of happy vassals of someone else, in particular the United States, but to make efforts to strengthen their independence. "I see many people in Europe saying that we should be nice to the Americans, that we should obey them. But the answer is not obedience. I am not for a happy vassalage," he said, adding that Europeans can be convinced that they need to be united and strong more than ever, and that European leaders must therefore make very well-considered decisions on technology, industry and defence.
The first of two major events planned in Macron's short diplomatic programme for February took place on 10 and 11 February. At the AI Summit in Paris, around 60 countries, including China, India and France, as well as the EU and the African Union Commission, called for greater coordination on the governance of AI, which would require a global dialogue. They also called for greater accessibility to this technology, which should not be concentrated in the hands of certain technology giants. These countries declared themselves in favor of a more open, more inclusive and more ethical artificial intelligence. The summit was also an occasion for Macron to announce that France had attracted investments in the development of artificial intelligence on its territory in the amount of $ 109 billion, at a time when the United States announced an investment plan in this direction in the amount of $ 500 billion, and the EU announced a similar initiative in the amount of $ 200 billion.
With this, Macron's diplomacy in the short month of February should have ended. But thanks to the unpredictability of the Donald Trump administration, the French president was involved in the Ukrainian dossier for almost the entire second half of the month.
An indication that unpredictable things could happen was actually already at the AI summit. Instead of the expected Donald Trump and Elon Musk, whom Macron invited back in December, when they were in Paris for the inauguration of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral, Vice President J.D. Vance came. From the podium at the Paris summit, he criticized the EU's excessive regulations in the field of artificial intelligence and new technologies. A few days later, at the Munich Security Conference, the same Vance openly criticized the EU, stating that democratic institutions and freedom of speech in the EU have been undermined. He specifically criticized the cancellation of the first round of the presidential election in Romania, which he compared to a practice typical of the Soviet era. Vance accused European leaders of using ugly words dating back to the Soviet era such as disinformation, against alternative points of view, alternative opinions, alternative voting and even against the victory of an election by a candidate who was not expected to achieve such a result. Vance also criticized the isolation of parties such as the “Alternative for Germany”. Regarding the various aspects of US-EU relations, Vance then stressed that the Trump administration remains committed to Europe's security, but highlighted the need for Europe to spend more on its defense. He also mentioned the possibility of a reasonable settlement of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Vance also reproached Europeans for allowing mass migration to their continent. In general, Vance hinted to Europeans at the time that internal threats were the greatest dangers to European democracy, not external challenges coming from Russia or China, summarize Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and Associated Press.
Two days before Vance's speech, on February 12, Trump also surprised Europeans and Ukrainians by holding a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. In this conversation, the two mentioned resolving the conflict through negotiations. On February 18, delegations from both countries met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to begin talking about Ukraine, world agencies recall.
This series of unexpected actions left Europeans, including Ukrainians, with the feeling that they would be isolated from the peace talks in Ukraine, that the US would turn a blind eye to Europe, that peace in Ukraine could be negotiated without taking into account Ukrainian interests and Ukraine would be forced to make compromises and painful concessions, that after a possible peace agreement in Ukraine came into force, the guarantees that it would not be violated and that Russia would not undertake new aggression would have to be provided not by the US, but only by the Europeans.
In parallel, the tone between the US and Ukrainian presidents escalated after Trump demanded a deal with Ukraine for American access to Ukrainian minerals as compensation for the aid the US was providing to Ukraine. After Kiev refused to accept a deal due to its initial parameters, Trump attacked Zelensky and even called him a dictator without elections, while Zelensky accused Trump of living in a sphere of Russian disinformation.
All this prompted the French president to take action, and he organized two summits dedicated to Ukraine. They were held on February 17 and 19, respectively. The first meeting in Paris was attended by the leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland, EC President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte. But other countries from Central Europe, Finland, and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which border Russia and have always shown firm support for Ukraine, were absent from the meeting. It was from them that objections and complaints to Macron came that they had not been invited to this forum. And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was not invited to the meeting, described it as a gathering of those who fan the flames of war. While Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was invited to the meeting, warned that it should not be perceived as an anti-Trump forum. The participants in this meeting demonstrated disagreements on a key issue - whether Europe should send its military to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force after a possible peace agreement comes into force there, summarizes Agence France-Presse. After the second summit, organized again by Macron, but this time in a videoconference format on February 19, in which the rotating G-7 chairman Canada also participated, the disagreements on this issue between the countries supporting Ukraine remained. The unanimity was in the support confirmed by these countries for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. On February 17, Macron also received the European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius at the Elysee Palace, with whom he discussed plans to strengthen European defense.
The culmination of these unexpected diplomatic events, urgently included in Macron's agenda, was on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, when he went to Washington to meet with Trump. His visit followed that of Polish President Andrzej Duda on February 22 in Washington and preceded that of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on February 27 at the White House. A key element in the discussions during all these solo visits of European leaders to the American capital was the topic of Ukraine. From Washington on February 24, Trump and his guest Macron joined together in a video conference call at the G7 summit on the occasion of the third anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From Kiev, where they were at that moment, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and EC President Ursula von der Leyen joined the meeting. The Ukrainian president also participated in the meeting. And while Macron was with Trump on February 24, not only Von der Leyen and Trudeau went to Kiev, but also the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez, the leaders of the Baltic and Scandinavian countries and the entire College of European Commissioners to show support for Ukraine.
On the eve of the third anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 20, Macron participated in an online discussion for more than an hour about the war in Ukraine, the Russian threat and European security. During this discussion, Macron answered questions that were asked to him on his social channels, recall “France 24“ and BFM TV. Then the head of state stated that the fate of Europe, not only that of Ukrainians, is being played out on the battlefield in Ukraine. The French president called for a lasting and solid peace that would allow Ukraine to be stable and have security guarantees, but this peace must be negotiated by Ukrainians. Macron looked back at the three years of the conflict, calling it a "failure for Russia" and recalled the "horrible war crimes in Bucha" committed by the Kremlin's troops. "Ukraine has put up incredible resistance", said Macron, who noted that at the same time "the situation is worrying". "Russia has increased its armaments and strengthened its cooperation with Iran", the French president warned. According to him, by drawing North Korean soldiers into the conflict, Russia has "globalized the war in Ukraine". He pointed out that during the three-year war, "about 1 million people" were killed and wounded on both sides of the conflict.
During this discussion, Macron said he wanted forces to be sent to Ukraine to guarantee peace once it was agreed. "We have spoken about this with the British and other countries," he said, but added that it was too early to reveal any details. Macron recalled that France is now equipping, supplying weapons and aircraft to Ukraine.
The French president was asked about European defense cooperation. He said that "it would be very difficult to have a single army" in Europe, but explained that he wanted to strengthen European security and defense and Europe's common capabilities. Macron called on Europeans to invest even more in defense.
In response to the question of how Europe could still have weight in the negotiations on the war in Ukraine, Macron said he wanted to introduce in the coming weeks a huge joint European financing to buy and produce more defense products. But Macron warned that if the purchases were made by the United States, the EU would not increase its autonomy. According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies published in October last year, 34% of European defense purchases are made by American manufacturers. Macron indicated that in Europe "we will have to increase" the share of GDP allocated to defense.
During the discussion on February 20, asked what he would say to Trump when he met with him in the Oval Office of the White House, Macron said that he would tell him: "You cannot be weak in the face of Putin, that is not you. If you let Ukraine be taken, Russia will be unstoppable!“. The French leader added that he would tell Trump that if he is weak in the face of Putin, he will also be weak in the eyes of China, perceived by the United States as a major geostrategic competitor.
The president also defined Zelensky at that time as a legitimate president who was elected by a free system. Thus, he countered Trump's statement that Zelensky is a dictator without elections and recalled that martial law in force in Ukraine for three years has prevented elections from being held. "Do you think that we, in the same situation, would be happy to hold elections?", Macron asked, adding that "lasting peace is a prerequisite for holding elections". The French president expressed the opinion that his Ukrainian counterpart cannot hold elections now. "Do you think that he can organize presidential or parliamentary elections in a country from which several million Ukrainians have fled to protect themselves from the conflict", he asked, emphasizing that an entire strip of Ukrainian territory is now occupied by Russia. "We want more democracy in Ukraine in the long term, thanks to a lasting peace", Macron added. "President Zelensky also wants democracy because he is the fruit of democracy", Macron said at the time.
The day after, on February 21, in a podcast for "Fox News" Trump called Macron a friend, but added that he had done nothing to end the war in Ukraine, BFMTV recalls.
Then followed Macron's meeting with Trump in the White House Oval Office, the first between them since Trump was sworn in as head of state on January 20. Macron came to Washington in an attempt to iron out huge differences with Trump on Ukraine and, more generally, on transatlantic relations, notes Agence France-Presse. The summit, which took the form of a conversation preceded by a question-and-answer session between the two leaders and journalists and followed by a joint press conference, was marked by moments of closeness, but also by moments of tension. Jokes, energetic handshakes in the style of Canadian wrestling, which are always expected by photojournalists with interest, compliments, gestures of sympathy, but also open contradictions – This was the atmosphere of the meeting between Macron and Trump, summarize France Presse, “France 24“, “Télévision 1“ and BFMTV. The two leaders once again played out in front of journalists the duet of diplomatic friendship, developed during the Republican's first presidential term, adds “Parisien”.
When Macron answered in French to one of the journalists' questions, Trump joked that he had no idea what he was saying, but that French was the most beautiful language in the world, recall France 24 and BFMTV. On this occasion, Trump even told a funny story with Macron. During the first presidential terms of both leaders, after a dinner at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, attended by both, as Trump said, charming first ladies, the French president began to respond in French to journalists covering the event. There was no interpreter, and if Macron spoke, he spoke in French, and Trump just nodded his head. The next day, when he read the newspapers, Trump realized that what Macron had told reporters in French about his conversation with Trump was not the same as what he and Trump had said to each other during the dinner. At the end of his story, Trump good-naturedly called Macron a “cunning” and everyone present laughed. But then Trump also called Macron “a very special person”.
The US president also thanked Macron for inviting him to Paris in December for the inauguration of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral. He described the visit to France as "a very good day that I will not soon forget and from which I have very good memories." "It was very sad when the fire broke out in the cathedral," Trump recalled, hailing the restoration of the temple as an incredible achievement, BFMTV, Reuters and the Associated Press reported. Trump added that Macron was doing a great job and that it was a pleasure to spend time with him, and conveyed his greetings to Brigitte Macron, promising that they would see each other again soon.
Trump and Macron have revived their bromance amid strategic disagreements over Ukraine, France 24 reported on Macron's meeting with Trump. The two leaders have a long history of public displays of closeness, dating back to Trump's first term. Regarding the relationship between Macron and Trump, British journalist Piers Morgan said that no other foreign leader gets along with Trump as well as Macron. "A friend of Trump but tough on him, respectful but not afraid to confront Trump when Trump is wrong. And Trump respects him for that," Morgan said of Macron, quoted by "France 24."
The relationship between Macron and Trump has never soured to the extent that, for example, Trump's relations with other leaders have become strained, but during Trump's first term as president, they have still experienced periods of ups and downs, BFMTV notes. The media may talk about a bromance between the two leaders, but Macron was openly critical of the "America First" diplomatic approach at the time Trump and called on Europeans to unite in response to him.
In 2018, Macron visited the White House and presented Trump with a tree that the two planted together on the White House lawn. The tree came from a forest where many American soldiers died in France during World War I. But the tree never survived the White House, BFMTV also recalls.
The exchange of views between Macron and Trump on February 24 seemed cordial, but the two leaders did not hide their disagreements, noted “Télévisions 1“ and added that Macron apparently did not manage to change his host's basic positions regarding the war in Ukraine.
During Macron's meeting with Trump, both wanted to show that they understood each other well and that they were straightforward in their communication with each other. Macron wanted to show that he had a special relationship with the American president and that he was telling him straight up what was going on. He also didn't want to give the impression that he was letting himself be manipulated by Trump, adds “TEF 1“.
Although Macron assured that progress had been made at the meeting in discussions on security guarantees in the event of the deployment of European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, nothing seems certain in this regard for now. Trump also did not change his goal of “quick” peace after the conversation with Macron, while Macron called above all for this peace to be “lasting”, the French media commented. “Both talked about ending the war, but with two completely different visions,” notes Michael Strykoff, a professor of American civilization at the University of “Aix-Marseille“ about Macron's meeting with Trump. "While the US president seemed ready to make concessions to Moscow to end the conflict, Macron has shown agility and resourcefulness by speaking diplomatically, defending the idea of a negotiation process that would include Europe and Kiev," said Maud Caesar, director of the "Europe, Transatlantic Space, Russia" department at the Institute for Strategic Studies at the French Military Academy.
During the meeting, Macron recalled who the aggressor in Ukraine was, while Trump seemed to put both sides in the conflict on an equal footing. Trump also refused to call Putin a dictator because he did not use such qualifications lightly, although a few days earlier he called Zelensky that. Macron also spoke of lasting peace in Ukraine and a strong agreement in this direction, which will not fail like the Minsk agreements, recall Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the Associated Press. While Trump spoke of quickly concluding a ceasefire deal and only then of a peace agreement, because the first of these two things could be achieved faster than the second. He added that he would like to go directly to a peace agreement, but added that ceasefires always happen a little faster than peace agreements. Asked whether Ukraine might have to cede some territory to Russia, Trump said: "We'll see," while Macron warned that any peace deal must include sovereignty for Ukraine, world agencies recall. Macron stressed that a peace agreement should not mean Kiev's capitulation and that there must be guarantees for Ukraine's security to prevent another attack by Putin, notes Agence France-Presse. "We want a quick deal, but not a fragile deal," he stressed. Macron tried to convince Trump that the United States would also have an interest in lasting peace in Ukraine, note "Les Ecos", Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the Associated Press.
Macron welcomed the project that is close to Trump's heart - to secure access to Ukrainian minerals to compensate for the costs incurred by the United States in supporting Kiev. He described Trump's desire to conclude such a deal as a sign of strong American commitment to Ukraine. Such a deal would provide Ukraine with long-term American support for Ukrainian sovereignty, the French president believes, and this opinion coincided with Trump's position, who said that Russia would not create problems in a territory where the United States has sent workers to develop natural resource deposits, recalls Agence France-Presse. The French leader also noted that Trump sees diplomatic relations as business negotiations, which are sometimes conducted brutally if necessary. Macron also praised the United States' ability to dissuade and let his host present himself as a peacemaker, BFMTV points out. Trump himself admitted at the time that he laundered deals, that he had been doing this all his life and that this was all he knew. He also assured that he was breaking with the diplomacy led in the past by the United States, which after 1945 are guarantors of democracy, as well as defenders of Europe through NATO and their nuclear arsenal, note "Liberation" and BFM TV.
After meeting with Trump in an interview with „Fox News“ Macron warned his American counterpart to be careful in the negotiations between the US and Russia on ending Moscow's three-year war. „I think that the coming to power of President Trump changes the rules of the game", Macron said. "And I think that President Trump's initiative is very positive. But my message to the US is: Be careful, because we need something substantial for Ukraine", added Macron, quoted by world agencies. He said that the scheme should be as follows - negotiations between the US and Russia and between the US and Ukraine. „First we need a ceasefire, which can be concluded in the coming weeks. If it is not respected, this will be the best proof that Russia is not serious about this issue“, said the French leader.
During the meeting with Trump, Macron said that the Europeans are ready to go as far as sending military personnel to Ukraine to verify whether the peace is truly being respected, but he failed to mention that there are disagreements in Europe on this issue. He assured that Europe is also ready to strengthen its defense, something that Trump constantly insists on, world agencies note. And Trump, in turn, assured that Putin would have nothing against the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. He said that he had already asked him about this issue and Putin had made it clear that he had no objections, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press summarize. On the same day, in a television interview, Putin himself said that the Europeans could participate in the process of settling the conflict, Agence France-Presse recalls. Speaking about European soldiers in Ukraine, Macron stressed that they would not be sent to the front lines, they would not take sides in the conflict, but would be deployed there after peace is negotiated in Ukraine. And Trump, although he expressed support for this idea, did not say anything specific about security guarantees that Washington might provide for these soldiers, commented Agence France-Presse.
During the meeting with Macron, Trump also tried to downplay Europe's involvement in financial aid to Ukraine, which forced Macron to fact-check him in front of all the journalists in the Oval Office, BFM TV, Associated Press, Reuters, “Poin“, BBC, “France 24“, France Presse noted. In front of the journalists in the Oval Office, Trump repeated his argument in support of his interest in Ukrainian minerals, which would be compensation for American financial support for Ukraine. “Just so you understand, Europe lends money to Ukraine. It gets its money back,” he said, but Macron immediately interrupted him. “No, to be honest, we paid,” the French president corrected him. “We paid 60% of the total effort... We provided real money,” he emphasized. Trump's reasoning that Europe has returned the money it gave to Ukraine is based on Russia's assets frozen by Europe after the invasion in February 2022. But here Macron made a clarification. "We have $230 billion in frozen Russian assets in Europe. But that is not a guarantee for a loan because these funds do not belong to us. So they remain frozen," he said. An explanation that did not seem to convince Trump. "If you believe that, I agree. But they (the Europeans) get their money back, and we do not. But now we will get it," he insisted, referring to the deal for Ukraine's minerals, calling it "fair."
Despite the disagreements observed in the meeting between Macron and Trump, the French head of state insists that he has a great advantage in his relations with Washington. Macron is convinced that he knows Trump well and knows how to approach him, notes “Télévisions 1“. The Elysee Palace may proudly claim that Macron is one of the leaders with whom the American president speaks most often, and Macron himself may say that he speaks several times a week on the phone with Trump, but now the context of interpersonal relations and initiatives is different, adds the French media. Trump's current entourage, starting with his Vice President J.D. Vance, adopts a much more aggressive tone towards Europe than before. “We are witnessing the reversal of the order established 80 years ago in transatlantic relations. This is a choice that this new US administration has been making for several months. And in the face of this real ideological project, interpersonal initiatives have no chance of success", notes analyst Michael Strykoff.
Macron tried to use his personal relationship with Trump to influence the US position on Ukraine, but with varying success. His trip to Washington was organized urgently to read the pulse of the American administration, which is clearly in a hurry to leave the Old Continent to fend for itself, commented “Les Eco“. “We understand each other and our desire is the same: peace as soon as possible, solid and lasting peace for all”, Macron announced at the end of the meeting with Trump. The US would be ready to support a European security force in Ukraine as part of a peace agreement, according to Macron, who confirmed that France is ready to contribute to these forces. But Trump refused to talk about the American contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine once peace is secured, commented “Les Eco“.
In addition, Macron's closeness to Trump is not being swallowed lightly by some in France, the publication adds. “The French have made efforts to draw attention to the need for greater strategic autonomy. We do not see why we should develop imaginary friendly relations with President Trump at a time when he is making unacceptable comments and taking unacceptable positions regarding Zelensky and Ukraine,” notes Jean-Louis Bourlange, former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly. "The hugs between Macron and Trump are rather disturbing, as is the ambiguity of their comments, because they pretend to agree when they absolutely disagree, and all this while Russia is bombing Ukraine with more fervor than ever before," notes geopolitics expert Dominique Moisi.
"It is a pity that European representatives are going to Washington in disarray. And that is exactly what Putin and Trump want. We should have spoken with one voice and undoubtedly put Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU and who is at the center of the contradiction between Atlantic devotion and firmness towards Putin, says Jean-Louis Bourlange.
The meeting between Trump and Macron at the White House illustrates the growing gulf between the allies, noted the French newspaper "Le Monde". While Macron calls the talks with his American counterpart a "turning point" in the search for a more unified approach to Ukraine, Trump seems to be driving on a freeway with no speed limits and no regard for passengers, Le Monde points out.
With these diplomatic moves, Macron is back in the center of the game, notes Agence France-Presse. The agency recalls that when in February last year he first spoke about sending troops to Ukraine to dissuade Russia from launching a new offensive in Europe, this idea caused a lively controversy. But then several countries expressed support for it. In the first months of the war in Ukraine, Macron insisted on maintaining dialogue with Putin and spoke of Russia not being humiliated. But then he underwent a positive evolution, says Lukasz Maslianka of the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw, quoted by Agence France-Presse. According to the analyst, the countries of Eastern Europe are counting on the leadership of France, but also of Britain - two European nuclear powers - to guarantee the ceasefire in Ukraine.
But according to Claudia Major, an analyst at the think tank “German Marshall Fund “, Macron has lost a lot of his influence since his camp lost the elections for the European Parliament and the French parliament last summer. Now, in addition, no one can play the role of a natural leader in Europe. The British have their own internal problems. In Germany, negotiations for a new government are still underway. And on the part of Orban and Meloni, there is a desire to create a pro-Trump front in Europe. In addition, Macron has in the past invited many people to meetings in Paris, where they tried to coordinate their positions and then he made unilateral statements, which is counterproductive, says Major. A similar thing happened during Macron's visit to Trump, where he announced his readiness to send European military personnel to Ukraine, although it had previously become clear at the summit of European leaders in Paris on February 17 that there were countries that were against such a decision.
During his visit to Washington and his conversation with Trump, Macron also touched on the topic of possible additional American tariffs on European imports. After the visit, Macron expressed hope that he had managed to plead the EU's cause with Trump. Trump generally criticized the high VAT in European countries, which he assimilated as an additional tariff on American goods. Macron tried to soften his position and emphasized that the desire of both countries was to have fair and honest competition for industries, a smooth bilateral trade agreement, and even more investment, note Agence France-Presse and “France 24“. In an interview with Fox News after his meeting with Trump, Macron said he told Trump that the United States cannot wage a trade war against China and Europe at the same time. "Now is not the time to increase tariffs. Why? Because we urgently need to increase our spending on defense and security. How do you want to do that if there is a trade war between us," Macron also said.
Convinced that his meeting with Trump had marked a turning point, Macron turned his attention to a meeting with Friedrich Merz, the winner of Germany's snap parliamentary elections, on February 26, and the two announced they had reached an understanding on a wide range of issues. "The similarities were even greater than I expected," Merz told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Both Macron and Merz expressed their intention to turn a new page in Franco-German relations after their working dinner at the Elysee Palace. Merz described the atmosphere of the talks as cordial, full of trust and inspired by their mutual desire to make rapid progress in the face of the major geopolitical challenges facing both countries.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a meeting with the EU's top diplomat Kaia Kallas. While Trump, in turn, announced that he had decided to introduce 25 percent tariffs on European imports very soon, world agencies reported. Breaking the news about the tariffs, Trump said that the EU was designed to cause problems for the US, recalls “Figaro“. Trump added that the EU had achieved its goal, but now that will change because he is the president of the US. Trump warned that retaliatory measures from the EU will not work, because then it is enough for the US to stop buying goods from Europe. If this happens, the US will win in this trade confrontation, because, as he said, the US is the cornucopia for everyone. "The EU has been very unfair to us, we have a trade deficit of 350 billion dollars, they don't buy our cars, they don't buy our agricultural products, they don't buy almost anything and we have to fix that," Trump said earlier, back in mid-February, as quoted by Agence France-Presse, "20 Minutes" and "Le Parisien". The EC then reminded that EU tariffs are among the lowest in the world and that it sees no justification for increasing US tariffs on European imports. In response to Trump's statement last week that the US would still impose 25 percent tariffs on European imports, Macron promised reciprocal European action towards the US on February 28, Agence France-Presse added.
And while Macron's mission to Trump seemed to have failed on the issue of tariffs, the one on Ukraine seemed to have been relatively successful until the middle of last week. Ukraine and the United States announced that they had finalized talks on a deal for American access to Ukrainian natural resources with more favorable terms for Ukraine. It was reported that the deal would be signed on February 28 during Zelensky's visit to Washington. On February 27, journalists reminded Trump that he was preparing to make a deal with a man he called a dictator, and Trump asked in surprise: "Did I call him that?" On the same day, however, information appeared that Trump intended to cancel his invitation to Zelensky to visit Washington on February 28. Zelensky was even informed by the US administration not to come to Washington to meet with Trump. Then the Ukrainian leader called Macron, who called Trump and asked him to receive the Ukrainian leader. In the end, Trump agreed not to cancel the visit, BFMTV reported, citing a diplomatic source.
An indication that the topic of Ukraine will not pass without surprising twists after the turning point of Macron's meeting with Trump was that on the same day it took place, February 24, the UN Security Council approved a resolution on Ukraine proposed by the US government, which called for a quick end to the war and did not characterize Russia as an aggressor, DPA reported. 10 countries voted "in favor" of the resolution, including the US, Russia and China, while all 5 European countries on the Council - Britain, France, Slovenia, Denmark and Greece - abstained. In theory, Britain and France have the right to veto Security Council resolutions, but they have not used this right since 1989. Under international law, UN Security Council resolutions are binding. The approved document, titled "Path to Peace", did not call Moscow an aggressor, nor did it call for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. The resolution was voted on just hours after the UN General Assembly adopted a separate resolution that reaffirmed its support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity on the same day, Agence France-Presse reported. The text, prepared by Ukraine and its European allies, received 93 votes "for", 18 votes "against" and 65 votes "abstains". The United States was among the countries that voted "against" at the time. A competing draft resolution prepared by the United States, which was approved by the Security Council later that day, failed to pass in its original form at the UN General Assembly. There it was largely changed by European countries, so that it spoke of territorial integrity and the achievement of a just peace in Ukraine, notes Agence France-Presse. The amended text was also adopted by the General Assembly with 93 votes "in favor", 8 votes "against", and 73 votes "abstains". The United States supported this amended version of the document, which was then adopted in its original, unchanged version by the Security Council.
Another indication of expected inevitable twists and reactions on the Ukrainian file was that on February 26, when Antonio Costa organized a videoconference meeting of European leaders, at which Macron could tell what he had talked about with Trump about Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Meloni asked him in what capacity he had visited Washington, Corriere della Sera reports. In response, he assured that he was there to represent France only. Meloni also appeared incongruously during the question-and-answer session with journalists of Trump and Macron in Washington. “I love Italy, it has an incredible woman for a leader. "I think Italy is doing very well and has very strong leadership in George," Trump said in response to a journalist's question, momentarily diverting attention from Ukraine and his visiting Macron, ANSA emphasized.
And while Macron said on February 24 that he understood the American interest in Ukrainian natural resources, European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Séjournais, who is French and is the Executive Vice-President of the EC, spoke about an agreement between Ukraine and the EU on critical raw materials, which, according to him, would be of mutual benefit to both countries, Agence France-Presse reported. After a working session between European commissioners and the Ukrainian government on February 24, Séjournais said: “21 of the 30 critical materials that Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine within the framework of a partnership from which both countries will benefit”. Sejourne stressed that Europe's added value lies in the fact that it will never demand an agreement that is not mutually beneficial. Thus, an unexpected competitor to the United States has emerged on the issue of Ukrainian minerals.
On February 27, the French publication “Parry Match“ published an interview with Macron, taken on the sidelines of his visit to the United States. In it, he tells the secret of his special relationship with Trump. “One should never appear weak in front of him. And one should never lecture him”, Macron said. He assured that this approach gives results. As for the strength that must be demonstrated in front of Trump, French publications published photos at the time showing a bruise on Trump's right hand. The White House explained to NBC News that the bruise was caused by Trump's intense handshakes, and White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt added that "Trump works non-stop and shakes hands with people all day, every day, because he's a man of the people." Similar bruises were noticed on Trump's hands last August, last November, and in 2020. In December 2024, Trump was asked about these bruises, and he said they were due to him shaking hands with thousands of people, BFMTV recalls.
A day after Macron revealed the secret of his successful relationship with Trump, on February 28, an unprecedented confrontation between Donald Trump and J.D. Vance and Volodymyr Zelensky unfolded before the eyes of the world in the Oval Office of the White House. France Press and the Associated Press, as well as a number of other publications, even published a transcript of key moments from this confrontation, which gave rise to diverse analyses, reactions and comments. The sharp verbal clash showed that there is still no turning point in establishing a unified approach between Europe and the United States on the Ukrainian file. One of the first reactions to the scene, which took place in the Oval Office of the White House, came from the French leader, while he was still in Portugal. “If anyone is playing World War III, it is Vladimir Putin“, not Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky“, Macron said, referring to Trump accusing Zelensky of creating the risk of World War III. "If there is a single person whom we have all heard threatening us with nuclear weapons, who is playing World War III, then we should not look for him in Kiev. Rather, we should look for him in Moscow," Macron said in an interview with Portuguese television channels "Er Te Pe 1" and "Er Te Pe 3." "There is an aggressor, which is Russia, and a people who are victims of aggression, that of Ukraine," Macron said. "I think we were right to help Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia three years ago and we will continue to do so," he added. "We must thank all those who helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning of the war, because they are fighting for their dignity, for their independence, for their children and for the security of Europe," Macron was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. He also spoke by phone with Zelensky after his verbal clash with Trump and Vance. Macron also held talks with Trump, the British prime minister, and the leaders of the European Council and NATO, Costa and Rutte, BFMTV added. And in an interview with the Tribune Dimanche, Macron urged both Trump and Zelensky to be calm, respectful and grateful in order to make progress on the Ukrainian issue. "If Putin is not stopped, he will certainly turn to Moldova, and perhaps further, to Romania," Macron also warned in an interview with several French publications, including "Tribune Dimanche," "Parisien," and "West France." The possible withdrawal of the United States from Ukraine "is not in their (the United States') interest," since "what the United States has been doing for the last three years is entirely in line with its diplomatic and military traditions," Macron noted. If Washington agrees to "sign a ceasefire without any guarantees for Ukraine's security", then "its geostrategic deterrent capacity towards Russia, China and other countries will evaporate on the same day", he added.
And yesterday Macron put on the discussion table, figuratively speaking, the delicate idea of sharing French nuclear deterrence at the European level, commented Agence France-Presse. This idea has given rise to contradictory opinions in France itself, where for decades the emphasis has been on complete French autonomy and independence in the field of nuclear deterrence, the agency added.