Trump, Macron strike optimistic tone on Ukraine after talks – DW – 02/25/2025

US President Donald Trump expressed hope on Monday that Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing its end.

This statement came during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Macron mentioned that he saw “substantial progress” following discussions with his counterpart in Washington, but he warned any potential agreement with Moscow must not amount to surrender for Ukraine.

The talks between the US and French leaders come at a moment of deep uncertainty about the future of European and American relations.

What did Trump and Macron say?

France has already spoken with the UK about sending peacekeeping troops as part of security guarantees and Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin would “accept” that arrangement.

“I have asked him that question,” Trump said. “Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for more war.”

In an interview with Russian state television, Putin, however, gave the impression that it might not end as soon as Trump wanted.

“[The end of the war] was not discussed in detail,” he said in an interview. “We only agreed that we would move toward this. And in this case, of course, we are not refusing the participation of European countries.”

Trump also expressed hope that the conflict could be over within weeks and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon come to Washington to sign a deal giving the United States valuable access to Ukraine’s minerals, which are used in key technology. 

Macron said he believed “today was a turning point” in talks over how to end the war. “We share your desire to make peace,” he said about his meeting with the US president, before cautioning that “peace cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine.”

The French president was the last leader in the West to maintain contact with Putin, even after Russia invaded Ukraine. But Macron eventually lost patience after Russian forces carried out brutal operations in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha months into the conflict.

However, Macron now hopes Trump’s communication with Putin can bear fruit.

“Now, there is a big chance because there is a new US administration, so this is a new context,” Macron said. “So there is good reason for President Trump to reengage with President Putin.”

UN Assembly shows rift between US and Europe over Ukraine still exists

While all seemed well with relations in the US capital, a dramatic shift was taking place in political discourse at the UN General Assembly as the United States split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of its neighbor.

Washington voted against a resolution that called out Moscow, demanding it withdraw troops from Ukraine.

The US then pushed for a UN Security Council resolution that acknowledged “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict” but never mentioned the Kremlin’s aggression.

This resolution was subsequently adopted and Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia acknowledged “constructive changes” in Washington’s position on the conflict, compared with the Biden administration. He told the council the resolution was “not an ideal one,” but “a starting point for future efforts towards peaceful settlement.”

Ukraine on Monday marked the bleakest anniversary yet as it struggles to fend off the Russian invasion, as it enters its fourth year.

European leaders meet in Kyiv in show of support

Under mounting pressure on the battlefield and with US support looking more fragile than ever, several European leaders met in Kyiv for commemorative events. Washington did not send any senior officials to the occasion.

“The autocrats around the world are watching very carefully whether there’s any impunity if you violate international borders or invade your neighbor, or if there is true deterrence,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in the Ukrainian capital.

Trump has in recent days described Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as a “dictator,” suggested Kyiv is to blame for the war and ended Putin’s three-year diplomatic isolation by the US.

On Saturday, Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said that preparations were underway for a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin.

Washington officials have also indicated to Kyiv that its hopes of joining NATO are unlikely to be fulfilled and that it is unlikely that it will retrieve the land that Russia’s army occupies, which amounts to around 20% of the country.

On the battlefield, Putin’s troops are making steady progress, while Ukraine grapples with shortages of troops and weapons.

More sanctions for Russia, Merz reiterates Ukraine support

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers approved a fresh raft of sanctions on Russia on Monday.

The measures target Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” of ships that it uses to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to carry stolen Ukrainian grain. The EU said 74 vessels were added to its shadow fleet list.

The UK also imposed new sanctions aimed at 107 businesses and individuals, designed to disrupt the Kremlin’s military supply chains.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is set to visit Washington later this week, said Ukrainian voices “must be at the heart of the drive for peace” while acknowledging Trump’s recent intervention had “changed the global conversation” and “created an opportunity.”

Nevertheless, “Russia does not hold all the cards in this war,” he said.

Friedrich Merz, likely to be Germany’s next chancellor in the wake of Sunday’s federal elections, has reiterated his support of Ukraine in a post on social media.

“Three years of Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” he said on X. “Three years of war in Europe. For three years, we have been accompanied by the terrible images of destruction and war crimes. Europe remains firmly on the side of Ukraine. Now more than ever, we must put Ukraine in a position of strength. For a just peace, the attacked country must be part of peace negotiations.”

Edited by: Louis Oelofse