French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that any peace deal in Ukraine must include security guarantees as he met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the war.
“This peace must not be a surrender of Ukraine. It must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees,” he stated during a joint news conference with Trump following their meeting on Monday.
Trump did not mention security guarantees himself but insisted that European nations, not just the U.S., should bear the cost and responsibility of securing peace in Ukraine.
Macron responded that Europe acknowledged the need to “more fairly share the security burden” and noted that discussions marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion had outlined a potential path forward.
Although the two leaders maintained a cordial tone throughout their talks, key differences emerged over how to end the war in Ukraine as they addressed reporters in the Oval Office and later during a 40-minute news conference.
One notable point of contention was whether security guarantees should be included in any peace agreement, as well as the broader strategy for next steps.
Trump expressed his desire for a ceasefire as soon as possible and stated that he would visit Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin once a deal was in place.
Macron, however, proposed a more structured approach, advocating for a truce followed by a comprehensive peace deal with strong security assurances for Ukraine’s long-term protection.
“We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak,” he asserted.
Despite their differences, both leaders agreed that European peacekeeping forces should be deployed to Ukraine as part of any peace arrangement.
“They would not be along the front lines. They would not be part of any conflict. They would be there to ensure that the peace is respected,” Macron explained from the Oval Office.
Trump claimed that Putin had no objections to such a deployment. “I specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it,” he said.
Macron commended Trump’s recent efforts to engage with Putin, stating that “there is good reason” for him to do so.
Trump, however, refused to call Putin a “dictator” despite having used the term last week to describe Ukraine’s president. He also revealed plans to meet with the Russian leader following a recent phone call.
“I don’t know when we’ll speak,” Trump said. “At some point, I’ll be meeting with President Putin.”
The Macron-Trump meeting coincided with the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a statement commemorating “three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians” before hosting an event with international representatives.
During the event in Kyiv, attended by various world leaders, Zelensky expressed hope that “we can finish this war this year.”
Other leaders, including those from the UK, Germany, and Japan, participated via video link, but no U.S. representative was present.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the growing diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington.
“Russia may have gained an open ear in the White House, but they have not gained an inch of legitimacy,” he remarked.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged attendees to “speed up the delivery of weapons and ammunition” to Ukraine, stressing that the war remains “the most central and consequential crisis for Europe’s future.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly in New York adopted a resolution—drafted by the EU and the UK—to mark the anniversary, reaffirming the UN’s “commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
The U.S. opposed the resolution and instead submitted its own, which did not explicitly support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and referred to Russia’s invasion as a “conflict.”
On the same day, the EU and UK imposed new sanctions on Russia.
The EU’s 16th sanctions package targeted Russia’s aluminum exports and its so-called “shadow fleet” of ships allegedly used to evade existing restrictions.
The UK’s sanctions focused on machine tools and electronics used by Russia’s military, as well as North Korea’s defense minister, who is reportedly responsible for deploying over 11,000 troops to Russia to support its war efforts.
