Trump, Macron talk ceasefire as Ukraine marks 3 years of war

Ukraine marked the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The three-year milestone drew more than a dozen Western leaders to Kyiv for commemorative events in a conspicuous show of support.

Thousands of people all over Europe also publicly showed their solidarity and support for Ukraine.

"This peace cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine," French President Emmanuel Macron told a joint news conference with Trump on Monday. "We want a quick deal but not a fragile one."

Macron, who acknowledged he saw "good reason" to speak with Putin about ending the war, has said "surrendering" Ukraine to Vladimir Putin would project US weakness.

There has been much concern in Europe and elsewhere as to whether the US can still be depended upon as an ally and if it will abide by agreements since Trump's return to office. 

Europe has struggled to grapple with Trump's impulsive and mercurial nature as he conducts business with enemies and allies and alarms went off when Trump publicly turned on Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

Despite Trump's own declaration that he was making a "decisive break" from "very foolish" traditional US foreign policy, Macron said on Monday, "after speaking with President Trump, I fully believe there is a path forward."

French President Emmanuel Macron took the rare step of publicly calling out US President Donald Trump over his maligning of European Union support for Ukraine while in Washington DC on Monday.

The exchange, which CSPAN uploaded to X, saw Macron, seated next to Trump, speaking of his desire "to see Ukraine compensated" by "Russia, because they were the one to agress." Trump recently said Ukraine started the war.

When Trump began to repeat his narrative that, "Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine, they get their money back…" Macron cut him off, physically grabbing him by the arm and saying, "No, in fact to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort." Macron said the EU, like the US supported Ukraine through loans, guarantees and grants, and "provided real money." 

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US gives more to Ukraine, adding that the US has been "stupid" for "giving away" money and arms to Ukraine, while also claiming the EU only gives loans.

The clip ends with Macron bringing up the issue of €30 billion ($31.4 billion) in Russian assets currently frozen in the EU. He said the money was never collateral for any loans but that if during negotiations Russia wanted to forfeit the money and have it declared a loan, with Russia paying, "then that would be my wish," said a smiling Macron.

The UN Security Council has voted in favor of a United States resolution on Ukraine that calls for a rapid end to the war but makes no mention of Russian aggression.

The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0, with five countries, including France and the United Kingdom, abstaining. Several amendments, proposed by Russia and European nations, did not pass.

Earlier, the UN General Assembly rejected the US-drafted resolution, which only passed after it was amended to state that the conflict was the result of a "full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation."

The assembly also adopted the resolution drafted by Ukraine and European countries which demands an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and calls Moscow's aggression a violation of the UN Charter. The US voted with Russia against it. 

Resolutions in the General Assembly are not legally binding but are seen as a barometer of world opinion.

US President Donald Trump said talks with French President Emmanuel Macron centered on ending the war in Ukraine "ravaging European soil."

The two leaders struck a cooperative tone, coming more than a week after Trump reached out unilaterally to Russia on ceasefire talks , putting European allies on edge, and throwing transatlantic unity on opposing Russia into disarray. 

"It's time to end this bloodletting and restore peace … Our focus is on achieving a ceasefire and a lasting peace," Trump told a press conference at the White House after meeting with Macron. 

Trump added that Macron agreed that the "cost and burden of security must be borne by Europe and not the United States alone."

Macron said in his own remarks coming after Trump, if Europe doesn't move to guarantee Ukraine's security, "how can we guarantee our own security?"

While Trump's remarks focused on the destruction Ukraine has suffered over three years of war, the US president avoided holding Russia and President Vladimir Putin responsible for launching the invasion.

Trump also said "a lot of good things towards peace are happening," citing talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who Trump has also called a "dictator," while repeating Russian narratives on the war. 

"It looks like we're getting very close," Trump had told reporters earlier, adding that Zelenskyy could potentially visit Washington this week or next.

Putin told Russian media on Monday he has not yet discussed resolving the conflict in detail with Trump. 

While Macron visited Washington, other European leaders gathered in Kyiv to commemorate three years of war at a summit convened by Zelenskyy. The US did not send a delegation. 

 

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would advise US President Donald Trump to get security guarantees for Ukraine "which can be assessed, checked and verified." 

"I have the feeling [President Trump] has the capacity to achieve it," Macron added.

Earlier Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would agree to European peacekeeping forces being stationed to secure a future ceasefire agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron told a joint press conference with Donald Trump at the White House that France would be ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, and that European peacekeeping troops could play a role.

Macron also told President Trump that Europe is ready to "step up" defense spending but he said he hoped for "strong" US involvement in securing any peace settlement in Ukraine.

Macron emphasized that the peacekeepers would not be sent to the front line, and would be in place only after a peace treaty was signed. 

Macron said a peace deal could come in a second phase, after what he called a "truce".

Trump said he believes Russia would be ready to accept European troops deployed in Ukraine as guarantors of a deal to end the fighting with Ukraine.

"Yeah, he will accept it," Trump said. "I have asked him that question. Look, if we do this deal, he's not looking for more war."

Macron's visit comes amid uncertainty about the future of transatlantic relations, with Trump moving to quickly end the war in Ukraine, not not including Europe in directly pursuing negotiations with Russia. 

Donald Trump was joined by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Oval Office on Monday, and told reporters he believes the Ukraine war could end "within weeks."

Macron insisted that Ukraine "must be involved" in any negotiations on ending the war. 

Trump said Zelenskyy could visit the White House "this week or next." On the table will likely be US access to Ukrainian minerals. 

Kyiv said Monday that it was in the "final stages" of a deal to give the US preferential access to rare minerals in exchange for US support. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on a possible Trump-Zelenksyy meeting. 

Trump has caused disarray among Ukraine's Western allies by repeating Russian narratives about that war in Ukraine, raising fears he will side with Moscow on a deal to end the war.

Earlier, Trump had said his talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine "are proceeding very well."

Trump posted on his Truth Social account before he was joined by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Oval Office for a conversation with other G7 leaders to mark the three-year anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

"Everyone expressed their goal of seeing the war end," Trump wrote, adding that the critical minerals deal between the US and Ukraine will be "signed very soon."  

French President Emmanuel Macron met US President Donald Trump at the White House in a bid to shore up support for Ukraine against Russia. 

Trump and Macron dialed in together from the Oval Office for a call with the heads of the G7 leading economies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Macron said the call was "perfect" and that his initial talks with Trump were "very friendly."  

The two leaders will continue talks Monday afternoon and are due to speak with the press later Monday. 

The French president formed a strong bond with the US leader during his first term in office.

However, Macron rejected Trump's recent comments, including those falsely stating that Ukraine started the war with Russia.

"For three years, Ukraine has been fighting with admirable courage against an aggressor, Russia. For sovereignty and freedom," Macron said on X, also calling France's support for Ukraine "unwavering."

Both Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are at the White House this week as they hope to persuade Trump to stick by Kyiv and to include European leaders in talks between Moscow and Washington.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine.

The US had submitted a rival proposal that called for a "swift end" to the war but did not specify that Russia "invaded" Ukraine. The assembly amended it so heavily that Washington abstained when the reworked text came to a vote.

The about-face from Washington comes as President Donald Trump has appeared to embrace Russian narratives on the war in Ukraine, including falsely claiming Ukraine started the conflict. 

The US is currently working on direct negotiations with Moscow on a possible end to the war, bypassing both Kyiv and its European allies. 

Monday's resolution marks the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. It is not legally binding, but it is seen as a barometer of world opinion.

The text reiterated "commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

Of the 193-member world body, 93 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 18 voted against it. 65 countries abstained. 

That's lower than previous resolutions, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia's aggression and demand a reversal of its annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

Speaking at a summit in Kyiv marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "this year should be ... the beginning of a real and lasting peace."

"We have to win peace through strength and wisdom and unity," he told a press conference.

The summit comes as US President Donald Trump has turned on Europe and Ukraine, instead opting for direct talks with Russia to end the war, while falsely blaming Ukraine for starting the war, and calling the Ukrainian president a "dictator."

The US did not send a representative to the summit on Monday.

The abrupt change in tone from Washington has forced Ukraine's other allies in Europe, along with Canada, to consider the possibility of how to support Ukraine without the US. 

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not showing any signs of backing down, despite opening talks with the US on ending the war.

"Putin is trying harder than ever to win this war on the ground. His goal remains Ukraine's capitulation," she said.

She also called the war in Ukraine "the most central and consequential crisis for Europe's future."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday that Ukraine could join the EU before 2030 if they continue to reform at the "current speed and quality." 

"I really appreciate the political will that is there," she said.

Von der Leyen was speaking at a press conference in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a dozen leaders from EU countries, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Zelenskyy said EU membership would act as a deterrence against further Russian aggression. 

"If Ukraine will be in EU and NATO in closest years, of course it will help us very much, and I think that they will not come back," he said.

"We will have a strong army and strong allies and strong unity, to my mind, because [Russia] will never forgive the world that they didn't win."

Turkey said it was ready to host possible talks between Ukraine and Russia and would support any initiative leading to peace, following a visit to Ankara by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara appreciated a US peace initiative, but reiterated that both sides must be involved in a solution.

"In that framework, we are ready to contribute all forms of support for peace to be achieved through talks. We are ready to host these talks as we have done before," Fidan said.

Meanwhile, Lavrov said Russia is ready to negotiate over the war in Ukraine, but will only stop fighting when a peace settlement "suits" Moscow.

NATO member Turkey hosted the first talks between the two sides in 2022, months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also helped secure an agreement for the safe passage of grain exports in the Black Sea.

The UK on Monday announced a new package of sanctions against people and organizations aiding Russia's war in Ukraine.

The package of measures targets "Russia's military machine, entities in third countries who support it and the fragile supply networks that it relies on," a Foreign Office statement said.

It includes 67 new sanctions designations and naming 40 new vessels under the UK's Russia sanctions regime.

Britain sanctioned manufacturers and suppliers of machine tools, electronics and dual-use goods, including microprocessors used in weapons systems.

These were located in a number of third countries, including Central Asian states, Turkey, Thailand, India and China.

The package also targeted North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol over the deployment of North Korean forces in Russia.

The French government condemned an incident in Marseille in which three improvised explosive devices were thrown at the Russian consulate, saying diplomatic missions are inviolable.

"France condemns any infringement of the security of diplomatic compounds," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

No one was injured in the morning attack, which came on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.