Washington
CNN
—

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to temper President Donald Trump’s aspirations for resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing their shared desire for peace and simultaneously cautioning against Russia’s history of failing to honor international agreements.

Macron continually underscored the importance of security guarantees to ensure that Moscow adheres to its commitments this time, asserting that any potential settlement must be subject to “verification and validation.” He recounted his discussions with Vladimir Putin, indicating that while there is merit in engaging with the Russian leader, it should be done from a stance of strength.

“We desire peace. He desires peace,” Macron remarked about his American counterpart while standing alongside Trump. “We want a swift resolution, but we won’t settle for a fragile agreement.”

“This peace must not entail a capitulation by Ukraine,” he emphasized.

In contrast, Trump did not refer to security guarantees during his remarks at the shared press conference. He portrayed himself as an astute negotiator keen on striking a deal.

“I’ve had discussions with President Putin, and my team maintains ongoing communication with him and his representatives, and they express a desire to achieve something,” Trump stated from the East Room. “Making deals is what I do; it’s been my entire career. I can tell when someone is willing to negotiate and when they are not.”

Macron intended to leverage his long-standing personal connection with Trump to advocate for Ukraine and European interests following a week of significant strain in transatlantic relations. The two appeared cordial during their hours together, exchanging compliments and smiles. Trump commended Macron for his swift efforts in rebuilding Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral after the fire that nearly destroyed it.

Additionally, Macron aimed to pinpoint shared understandings. He reiterated his belief that Europeans should take greater responsibility for their own security, a sentiment that aligns with Trump’s views.

Nonetheless, their contrasting perspectives were quite evident, as Trump did not appear to waver significantly from his views regarding the entities accountable for the Ukraine conflict or the adequacy of European support for Kyiv.

On the day of their meeting, a US-backed resolution that *did not label Russia as the aggressor* in the conflict garnered support in the UN Security Council, with backing from Moscow and lacking consensus from America’s European allies.

In a striking moment that highlighted the tense atmosphere during the discussions, Macron interrupted Trump to clarify the nature of European support for Ukraine, correcting his counterpart as he was speaking.

“Just to clarify, Europe is lending money to Ukraine. They will receive repayment,” Trump began as he prepared to advocate for a new agreement to *secure Ukraine’s mineral resources*.

At this juncture, Macron reached over to grasp Trump’s arm and interjected.

“No, to be clear, we, in fact, covered 60% of the overall effort. This is similar to the US approach: loans, guarantees, and grants,” he stated, eliciting a rueful smile from Trump.

Trump did express a willingness to consider a European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, a concept he intends to discuss further later this week with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He mentioned that he had discussed this idea with Putin, who also showed interest.

Later on, Macron described Europeans as serving as an “assurance force” in Ukraine, with Americans contributing “in solidarity,” although the specifics of the plan are yet to be fully defined.

Trump also mentioned he was ready to engage with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon to finalize an agreement that would grant the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, a development that Macron welcomed.

“It appears we are coming very close,” Trump remarked.

The president asserted that the conflict in Ukraine could conclude within weeks and refrained from labeling Putin a dictator—despite having used that term to describe Ukraine’s leader—and reiterated his intention to visit Moscow in the future.

Prior to their formal discussions, Trump and Macron had already spent over two hours together in a virtual G7 meeting. Both participated via video link, with Trump situated behind his Oval Office desk and Macron seated beside him, marking the third anniversary of the Ukraine conflict.

The G7 meeting took place against a tense backdrop, with US officials previously resisting calls to reference “Russian aggression” in the final leaders’ statement. Trump also reiterated his desire to reinstate Russia in the group, reviving a discussion he had in 2019 with Macron and others during the summit hosted by the French president in Biarritz.

Following the morning’s meeting, both presidents indicated that the two-hour virtual summit was productive. Macron called the discussions “perfect” as he departed the West Wing.

For Macron, whose complex relationship with Trump dates back to 2017, Monday’s meetings aimed to leverage what he perceives as a unique connection with the American president to advocate for Ukraine and Europe’s needs.

Macron expressed hopeful thoughts last week, suggesting that Trump viewed him with favor.

“He is someone I respect,” Macron stated, “and I believe he respects me as well.”

However, the significance of this perception in the context of their discussions remained somewhat ambiguous.

Prior to the meeting, Trump lamented what he described as insufficient efforts by both Macron and Starmer to resolve the conflict, insisting they “haven’t done anything,” despite substantial contributions from both nations to Ukraine’s military efforts.

Macron had already utilized his position to urge Trump to bolster support for Ukraine, orchestrating a surprise three-party meeting in Paris last December that included himself, Trump, and Zelensky during the reopening ceremony for Notre-Dame Cathedral. Reportedly, Trump was attentive and in a “listening mode” as Zelensky articulated the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine post-conflict.

Macron sought to explain to Trump that Putin’s stance had evolved since Trump’s previous term, cautioning that Ukraine’s defeat could project weakness from the US toward its rivals, chiefly China.

Two months after those discussions, it seems they did not leave a lasting impression on Trump, who has recently criticized Zelensky and suggested it was Ukraine that instigated the conflict.

Starmer, who is scheduled to meet Trump on Thursday, is anticipated to update his US counterpart about a developing plan to deploy up to 30,000 European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, aiming to illustrate Europe’s commitment to taking on a greater share of the responsibility for Ukraine’s security moving forward. He may also disclose the timeline for the UK to raise its defense budget to 2.5% of GDP.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.