The planned visit speaks volumes about Europe’s concern over the Ukraine negotiations between Russia and the United States. According to Donald Trump himself, Emmanuel Macron could go to Washington as early as Monday, in a bid to influence the course of the talks, if there is still time. Preferring a one-to-one meeting, the Elysée has not confirmed the information revealed on the evening of Wednesday, February 19, by US national security adviser Mike Waltz, who had indicated earlier that British prime minister Keir Starmer might also be invited.

Trump’s attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who his American counterpart described as a “dictator without elections,” only served to increase Europeans’ astonishment at how Trump intends to conduct talks with Vladimir Putin in an attempt to put an end to the war. The Russians have “the cards a little bit, because they’ve taken a lot of territory,” said Trump on Wednesday evening.

Trump’s comment on Zelensky came as Macron held a second mini-summit on Wednesday with European states and Canada, which essentially took place via videoconference, in a bid to assuage their frustration at not being able to take part in Monday’s discussions. “Ukraine must always be involved and its rights respected” in the search for “lasting peace,” Macron concluded at the end of the meeting, adding that “the security concerns of Europeans must be taken into account.”

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