Trump and Macron show unity in White House talks to end Ukraine war

President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron presented a united front during a meeting at the White House, focusing on efforts to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The visit, hastily arranged by Macron, aimed to reinforce transatlantic ties amid concerns over the Trump administration’s perceived shift in allegiance from Ukraine to Russia.

At a joint press conference on Monday, following a bilateral meeting and working lunch, Macron emphasised the progress made in their discussions, particularly regarding efforts to end the three-year conflict. He highlighted the shared goal of both governments: to save lives and reunite families affected by the war.

“We had lengthy discussions with the President, and we spoke about our desire to bring an end to conflicts, to have a truce that is measurable, verifiable, and that enables negotiation of a lasting peace,” Macron stated.

Reflecting on past peace efforts following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, Macron stressed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent previous failures from recurring. “This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine and must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and enable Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders regarding the issues it faces,” he said. “For us Europeans, this is an existential issue.”

Macron also confirmed discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British representatives about the possibility of deploying European-led peacekeeping forces on Ukrainian soil. “We have committed to building a lasting peace as Europeans, we have committed to being stakeholders in these security guarantees, and we are also well aware that Europeans need to do more for security in Europe, for defence in Europe,” he added.

Trump, for his part, recounted his conversations with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming that more progress had been made towards peace in his first month in office than in the previous three years, during which the United States firmly backed Ukraine against Russian aggression with substantial military aid.

“Our focus is on achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible, and ultimately a permanent peace. My meeting with President Macron today was another important step forward in that,” Trump stated.

Earlier in the day, Trump had suggested that Zelensky might visit Washington in the coming weeks to finalise a deal granting the United States significant access to Ukraine’s mineral resources as a form of repayment for American military aid. Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Macron, Trump indicated that representatives from both nations were “very close to a final deal.”

“He may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement… which would be nice, I’d love to meet him,” Trump said. He described the deal as involving “rare earths and various other things” and suggested Zelensky was eager to complete the agreement before submitting it for parliamentary ratification in Ukraine.

Regarding the prospect of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Trump asserted that Putin would not oppose such a deployment as part of a broader peace agreement. “I’ve specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it,” he claimed.

Macron reinforced Europe’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in multiple ways, including military assistance, while noting that ongoing discussions should not be pre-empted. “We don’t want to pre-empt any sort of discussions that are currently underway,” he said, underlining that France and the United States shared “the same objective” of securing a lasting peace.
The meeting between Trump and Macron came just hours after they participated in a call with fellow Group of Seven (G7) leaders to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Later, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to reiterate his claim that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had he been in office in 2022, instead of Joe Biden. He also stated that all G7 leaders had expressed their desire to see the war end. Additionally, he framed the mineral deal with Kyiv as an “economic partnership” designed to ensure the United States recoups the tens of billions of dollars spent on military aid while also aiding Ukraine’s economic recovery as the war draws to a close.