1 of 9 | U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron take questions during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on Monday, February 24, 2025. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |
License PhotoFeb. 24 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Monday called his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron an “important step” toward achieving permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine soon and said he expects a White House meeting with Ukraine’s President Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky possibly this week.
Macron, who was the first European leader to visit Washington, D.C., since the U.S. president returned to office Jan. 20, said they made “substantive steps forward” and “share the same beliefs” of a lasting peace but warned Russia could violate a negotiated agreement. Macron said Europe would take on a larger role in Ukraine.
Trump said “France is America’s oldest ally, our cherished partnership has been a force for freedom, prosperity and peace from the very beginning.”
Trump said the purpose of the meeting was to “end another battle” in noting France’s support during the American Revolution and during World War II.
Trump said it is in the best interest of the U.S., Ukraine, Russia and Europe to “stop the killing now and bring the world to peace.” He hopes his legacy will be of “a peacemaker and a unifier.”
“The horrors of this gruesome and bloody war can scarcely be underestimated,” Trump said. “It’s time to end this bloodletting and restore peace, and I think we’re going to do it.”
Macon warned there must be a guarantee of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine,” Macron said at the joint news conference. “It must not mean a cease-fire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders.”
Ukraine, which hasn’t been involved in peace talks with the United States and Russia, will need to sign off on an agreement.
Macon praised Trump for his “decision to work with President Zelensky, and to conclude this agreement that’s so important for the U.S. and Ukraine on rare earths, critical minerals, but also having substantive conversations with President Zelensky, doing this key phase of achieving this deal, which is a major commitment to Ukraine sovereignty.”
In the Oval Office, Trump told reporters: “I will be meeting with President Zelensky,” Trump said. “In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement and… which would be nice, I’d love to meet him. We’d meet at the Oval Office. So the agreement’s being worked on now. They’re very close to a final deal.”
Earlier Trump and Macron participated in a Group of Seven leadership call.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social after the G7 meeting, said participants “expressed their goal of seeing the war end.”
He added: “I emphasized the importance of the vital ‘Critical Minerals and Rare-Earths Deal’ between the United States and Ukraine, which we hope will be signed very soon! This deal, which is an ‘Economic Partnership,’ will ensure the American people recoup the Tens of Billions of Dollars and Military Equipment sent to Ukraine, while also helping Ukraine’s economy grow as this Brutal and Savage War comes to an end.”
Trump has demanded a $500 billion share of Ukraine’s deposits.
Zelensky has opposed those demands and said he won’t sign an agreement that “ten generations of Ukrainians” would need to pay back.
Before the meeting between the two presidents, Trump said: “Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They’re getting their money back.”
Macron responded: “No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort. It was like the U.S. loans, guarantees, grants,” he said. “We have $230 billion in frozen assets in Europe, Russian assets. But this is not collateral of a loan because it is not our belonging. So they are frozen.”
Trump then said: “If you believe that, it’s OK with me. They get their money back, and we don’t. But now we do.”
Trump also again falsely claimed the United States is spending much more money on the war in Ukraine than countries in Europe.
“We’ve spent more than $300 billion, and Europe has spent about 100 -$100 billion. That’s a big difference and at some point we should equalize,” he said.
But World Economy, a German think tank, said the European Union and individual European countries had collectively committed far more total wartime military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine through December — about $258 billion than the US of about $124 billion.
Europe had also allocated more military, financial and humanitarian aid (about $138 billion) than the US had allocated (about $119 billion).
Trump is also set to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House later this week.
Macron told Trump the European nations will do their part in Ukraine.
“A lot of my European colleagues are ready to be engaged, but we do need this American backup because this is part of the credibility of the security guarantees. And this is our collective deterrence capacity,” Macron said. “And I have the feeling that the president has this capacity.”
Macron and other European leaders, who convened an emergency meeting last week in Paris, expressed concern they weren’t involved in the talks in Saudi Arabia.
Britain and France are drawing up plans for a European “reassurance force,” which could include up to 30,000 troops to be deployed in Ukraine if there is a peace deal.
There have been tensions between Trump and Zelensky.
Trump last week called Zelensky a “dictator” and falsely blamed Ukraine for Russia’s ongoing assault. Trump said Ukraine has “no cards” to play as negotiations unfold.
Ttrump was asked if he would call Putin a “dictator.”
“I don’t use those words lightly,” Trump responded. “I think we’re going to see how it all works out.”
In Kyiv, Ukraine, more than a dozen leaders participated in commemorative events. They included European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau pledged to give 25 light-armored vehicles to Ukraine and to provide the country with the first payment of the $5 billion in funds from seized Russian assets.
The United States didn’t send a top official to Kyiv for the events.
Macron, during a question and answer on his social media last week, said he would tell Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President [Vldamir] Putin. It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”
The two leaders gave a message of support to Pope Francis, who is fighting double pneumonia. Reporters were onhand.
Trump and Macron shake hands. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |
License Photo
