French President Emmanuel Macron met US President Donald Trump at the White House at a moment of deep uncertainty about the future of transatlantic relations, with Trump transforming American foreign policy and tuning out European leadership as he looks to quickly end the Ukraine war.
Emmanuel Macron has said Europe wants to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine, as the French president met with United States President Donald Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Macron said the “common objective” was to build “a solid and longstanding peace” in the war-torn country.
“We do share the objective of peace but we are very aware of the necessity to have guarantees and a solid peace to stabilise the situation,” the French president told reporters.
“This is a very important moment for Europe,” Macron added.
“I’m here as well after discussions with all my colleagues, to say that Europe is willing to step up to be a stronger partner, to do more in defense and security for its continent, and … to be engaged on trade, economy and investments.”
“There is good reason for President Trump to re-engage with President Putin,” Macron said during Monday’s news conference in the US capital.
But he said that security guarantees must be part of any deal. “Being strong and having deterrence capacities is the only way to ensure that [a deal] will be respected. And I insisted on that,” Macron said.
Macron’s visit to Washington, DC, comes amid growing concern in Europe about the future of transatlantic relations as Trump advances his “America First” foreign policy agenda and urges a quick end to the Ukraine war.
The Republican leader’s push to launch negotiations between senior US and Russian diplomats without the participation of Ukrainian or European leaders has raised tensions, with Europe questioning Washington’s commitment to its security.
Trump said on Monday that “a lot of progress has been made” so far on efforts to end the conflict.
At a news conference with Macron later in the day, the US president said he was “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”.
“Europe must take that central role in ensuring the long-term security of Ukraine, which they want to do,” Trump said.
Macron and Trump met as the US president’s repeated criticisms of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have also shaken Europe.
