The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, stated that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could be agreed upon in the coming weeks.
Speaking in Washington following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Macron added that leaders—including Trump—should remain "cautious" in negotiations with Russia.
"In 2014, we reached a ceasefire agreement with Russia, but it was violated," Macron said, emphasizing that any ceasefire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin must be backed by security guarantees.
Trump remarked that the war between Russia and Ukraine could end "within a few weeks," insisting that Europe should take on the burden of a peace agreement.
Trump's persistent push for peace negotiations with Russia and his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he labeled a "dictator," have raised concerns among European leaders that the U.S. might attempt to mediate a disadvantageous ceasefire agreement for Ukraine, allowing Moscow time to regroup.
The French president, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, took a leading role in efforts to ensure a unified European response to the changing tone of the new U.S. administration.
Both leaders expressed their willingness to send peacekeeping troops to the region, and Macron reiterated this proposal on Monday.
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"Not to go to the front lines, not to engage in confrontation, but to be in certain places defined by the agreement, as a presence to maintain peace and our collective trust," Macron said.
During a joint press conference with Macron, Trump stated that Putin agreed to the presence of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, despite the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, having categorically rejected this idea just a few days earlier.
According to Macron, negotiations on a ceasefire should encompass security guarantees, land, and territory.
After the meeting, Trump did not mention security guarantees but stated that the costs of ensuring peace in Ukraine should be borne by both Europe and the U.S.
Macron responded that Europe understands the need to "more fairly share the burden of security."
Macron concluded that Trump's presence "changed the game" and agreed that he had "compelling reasons" to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
Trump indicated that he would meet with the Russian president at some point but added that he did not know exactly when.
The U.S. president also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House to finalize a $500 billion natural resources deal, which the Trump administration presents as compensation for Ukraine's assistance directed by Washington to the war-torn country.
Initially, Zelensky insisted that Ukraine would not sign such a deal, as the U.S. had not offered any concrete security guarantees in return.
However, on Sunday, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament stated that the government would begin serious work to reach an agreement with the Trump administration to grant the U.S. access to Ukraine's mineral resources.
But, he noted, any agreement must include security guarantees for Ukraine from Washington.