‘Truce Deal Could Happen…’: After Meeting Trump, Macron Reveals Endgame In Ukraine
After meeting US President Donald Trump in Washington DC on Monday, the French leader said that that world leaders — including Trump — should nevertheless be "careful" in negotiating with Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that a truce deal between Ukraine and Russia could be agreed in the coming weeks.
After meeting US President Donald Trump in Washington DC on Monday, the French leader said that that world leaders — including Trump — should nevertheless be “careful" in negotiating with Russia.
related stories
While speaking to Fox News following talks with Trump, Macron said any peace deal in Ukraine must “not be a surrender of Ukraine" and must be backed by security guarantees.
“In 2014, we had a ceasefire with Russia … it was violated every time," Macron said, adding that any truce agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin should be backed by security guarantees.
He said he believed it was “feasible" to talk about a truce in the war and the start of negotiations for a sustainable peace within weeks.
Macron further said that had held a meeting with top leaders of the European Union in Paris last week while Russia and the United States were holding a meeting over Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
“Not to go to the front line, not to go in confrontation, but to be in some locations, being defined by the treaty, as a presence to maintain this peace and our collective credibility with the US backup," Macron said.
Macron at a joint press conference with Trump following their meeting said their talks were productive and acknowledged that European nations must do more to bolster defence on the continent. But Macron also warned against capitulating to Russia.
Their talks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace “this year" as he met European leaders in Kyiv — amid mounting fears that Trump is pivoting towards Russia’s stance.
The Endgame Sequence
Calling the arrival of Trump for a second term at the White House a “game changer", the French leader said that “he (Trump) knows how to re-engage with Russia with the full deterrence capacity of the US".
Macron said, “For me the sequence of the ceasefire agreement should be as follows – First, there should be a negotiation between the US and Russia and then the US and Ukraine. President Trump has announced today that he is willing to have a short-term meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky – this is super important."
“A truce could actually happen in the weeks to come," he said, adding that “Truce has to be achieved on land, in the air, and at sea, and infrastructure (installed in Ukraine) – and Russia must respect it. If it doesn’t, it will be clear that Moscow is not serious about a peace deal" and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
One of the best ways to secure a US commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty, he said, would be through a deal on critical minerals, currently being negotiated by Washington and Kyiv.
Trump Says Ukraine War Can End ‘Within Weeks’
Ahead of his meeting with his French counterpart, Trump said that he was hopeful that Russia’s war in Ukraine was nearing an endgame.
Trump, in broad-ranging comments on the state of the conflict, said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine to keep the peace. He also expressed hope that the conflict could end within weeks and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon come to the US to sign a deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s critical minerals to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid that’s been sent to Kyiv since the start of the war.
“It looks like we’re getting very close," Trump told reporters at the start of his bilateral meeting with Macron. He added that Zelenskyy could potentially visit Washington this week or next to sign the deal.
The war in Ukraine completed 3 years on February 24. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died and over 6 million live as refugees abroad.
(With inputs from agencies)
- Location :
- First Published: