French President Emmanuel Macron said that peace in Ukraine must be guaranteed by security guarantees. He said this at a joint news conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday after a meeting. “This peace should not be a surrender of Ukraine, it cannot be a ceasefire where there are no guarantees.”
While Trump did not mention security guarantees, he insisted that the costs and responsibilities of peacemaking in Ukraine should not be borne solely by the United States, but that European countries should also participate equally. In response, Macron said that Europe understood the need to share security responsibilities more fairly and that discussions were moving forward on this.
Although the two leaders maintained a warm relationship during the meeting, their differences over ending the war in Ukraine became apparent. Trump quickly advocated for a ceasefire and said he would travel to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin if one was confirmed.
On the other hand, Macron emphasized a more strategic approach to peace, saying, “We want a quick peace, but not an agreement that is weak and unsustainable.”
However, both leaders agreed that a European peacekeeping force should be deployed in Ukraine. Macron said, “They will not be on the front lines, they will not take part in the conflict, but will guarantee the maintenance of peace.”
Trump said he had spoken to Putin about it and that Putin had no objections. "I asked him (Putin) directly. He doesn't see any problem with it," Trump said.
