French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could be possible in the coming weeks, but emphasized that any agreement must include strong security guarantees for Ukraine.
Speaking to Fox News after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Macron stressed that a truce should not result in Ukraine’s surrender.
Macron and Trump both agreed on the importance of Europe bearing a significant portion of the financial and peacekeeping burden. Macron noted that European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were open to sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, though these would not be on the frontlines but rather deployed in locations to maintain peace.
Trump, who has previously indicated that peace could come quickly, echoed the need for a swift ceasefire but did not discuss security guarantees.
He also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House for talks on a mineral resource deal, which Zelenskyy is now willing to negotiate, provided security assurances are included.
In the UN, the U.S. sided with Russia twice in a day of votes on Ukraine, first opposing a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions.
The U.S. and Russia then supported a U.S.-drafted resolution calling for an end to the conflict, but without criticizing Russia. France and the UK abstained from the latter vote.
As diplomatic tensions shift, the EU and UK imposed new sanctions on Russia, targeting its aluminum exports and military collaborations with North Korea. Meanwhile, the war’s impact remains central to European leaders, with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stating that while Russia may gain an “open ear” in the U.S., it hasn’t gained legitimacy.
Macron called the talks with Trump a “game changer,” and reiterated the importance of a sustainable peace deal, while also pushing back on Trump’s claim that EU aid to Ukraine was largely in the form of loans, clarifying that Europe had contributed 60% of the total effort.
