French President Emmanuel Macron warned Monday that peace cannot mean the “surrender” of Ukraine, but said talks with US President Donald Trump had shown a path forward despite fears of a transatlantic rift.
Meeting at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the two leaders said there was progress on the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, although Macron insisted on US security guarantees for Kyiv.
Their talks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for peace “this year” as he met European leaders in Kyiv — amid mounting fears that Trump is pivoting towards Russia’s stance.
At the United Nations, the United States sided with Russia twice on Monday, as Washington sought to avoid any condemnation of Moscow’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.
“This peace cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine,” Macron told a joint news conference with Trump.
Macron said Trump had “good reason” to re-engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin but said it was critical for Washington to offer “backup” for any European peacekeeping force.বিস্তারিত