French President Emmanuel Macron joined talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday anticipated to cowl the prospects for ending the Ukraine conflict amid stark variations on how you can proceed.
Macron grew to become the primary European chief to go to Trump since he regained energy a month in the past. He was on the White Home for a morning session that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, together with each leaders collaborating in a video convention with different G7 leaders about Ukraine.
Macron, as he left the White Home to stroll again to the Blair Home visitor residence, mentioned his welcome from Trump was “superb, very pleasant.”
“We had the video convention within the Oval workplace with the G7,” he mentioned.
The 2 leaders later have been to carry bilateral talks after which preside over a joint press convention scheduled for two p.m. EST.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to go to Trump later within the week, amid alarm in Europe over Trump’s hardening stance towards Ukraine and overtures to Moscow on the three-year battle.
Macron and Starmer are anticipated to attempt to persuade Trump to not rush to a ceasefire cope with Russian President Vladimir Putin at any value, maintain Europe concerned and focus on army ensures to Ukraine.
Story continues under this advert
Trump and his workforce have been negotiating a revenue-sharing settlement with Ukraine to recoup among the cash that the earlier Biden administration had despatched to Kyiv within the type of weapons to repel Russia.
Trump mentioned over the weekend he believed an settlement could be reached quickly.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy final Wednesday rejected US calls for for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime support, saying the US had equipped nowhere close to that sum to date and provided no particular safety ensures within the settlement.
Macron is attempting to capitalize on a relationship with Trump constructed throughout their first presidential phrases. He has mentioned agreeing to a nasty deal would quantity to a capitulation of Ukraine and would sign weak spot to the US’ foes, together with China and Iran.
Story continues under this advert
“I’ll inform him: deep down you can’t be weak within the face of President (Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re product of and it’s not in your pursuits,” he mentioned in an hour-long question-and-answer session on social media forward of Monday’s go to to the White Home.
