Trump, Macron hopeful for peaceful end to Russia-Ukraine war

No one wants to live in a world where national borders are violated on a whim, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a Monday evening news conference with President Donald Trump. Macron emphasized that peace in Ukraine must come with security guarantees and ensure that Ukraine remains sovereign. He added that Europeans are ready to step up and be a stronger partner of the United States by doing more for defense and security. The two leaders met together in Washington on Monday to discuss a wide range of issues from economics to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

What did President Donald Trump have to say? Trump characterized the war between Russia and Ukraine as a bloodletting that would not have begun if he had been in office at the time. He noted that Monday marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He claimed that, on the path to peace, his administration made more progress in one month than the previous administration had in three years. He said during the war, the United States spent $300 billion on Ukraine, while Europe had only spent $100 billion. Trump said the American people had elected him, in part, to recoup some of that investment and that was why the United States needs a critical minerals and rare earths agreement with Ukraine.

What else did the two have to say? Macron thanked President Trump for rearranging his schedule to meet with him on short notice and said their discussions amounted to substantive steps forward. He admitted that he thought the war would only last a matter of weeks when it first broke out in 2022. Macron lauded Trump’s efforts to forge critical minerals and rare earths agreements but added that Ukraine’s sovereignty was also important.

Trump began his speech by thanking Macron for inviting him to attend the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris late last year. He went on to laud France as America’s oldest ally and recounted highlights of their mutual relationship dating back to the American Revolution. 

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.