"We are focused on an early ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine that will lead to lasting peace," US President Donald Trump said at the White House after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Meeting with Macron is another step towards ending the war," Trump said during a joint address with the French statesman.
The American president pointed out that the current moment could be the only one to end the war in Ukraine.
"Macron agrees that the costs and burden of the Ukraine war should be borne by Europe," Trump said.
The French president is the first European leader to make an official visit to the United States since Donald Trump took office in January.
He said that he discussed with the American president the details, as he indicated, of the various steps of the negotiations.
"After talking with President Trump, I am convinced that a path exists. What is important is that Trump indicated that European peacekeepers will be accepted in Russia," Macron said.
"We will talk more often and we will finish this job," the French president stressed.
Before the meeting and joint address to the media, the two presidents briefly shared their impressions with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House.
"There's been a lot of progress. We've had very good talks with Russia, as well as with others. We're trying to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. A long way has been covered in a short period of a few weeks," Trump said ahead of his talks with Macron.
Trump also said that the United States is moving closer to an agreement with Ukraine on the basis of which it will be returned the money given to Ukraine for defense against Russia.
"The United States spent $350 billion on Ukraine. I don't know how we got there, but that's a lot of money. The Biden administration is to blame for that. The Europeans spent about $100 billion," Trump said, referring to the aid the US and European countries provided to Ukraine during the three-year Russian aggression.
"When the two sides sign an agreement, Russia will go back to its business, and Ukraine and Europe will go back to theirs," Trump said.
Emmanuel Macron conveyed that the common goal of France and the United States is to build a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine.
"We are friends and we cooperate well. Europe is ready to be a stronger partner, to do more on defense and security on the continent and to be a reliable partner. We want peace in Ukraine. As President Trump mentioned, there have been a million victims since the beginning of the war in Ukraine," the French president pointed out.
What did Macron intend to convey to Trump?
According to Reuters, Macron is seeking to capitalize on the relationship with Trump built during the US president's first term. He has argued that agreeing to a bad deal would amount to a capitulation of Ukraine. He also said it would show the United States' enemies, China and Iran, that it has weaknesses.
"I will tell him that you cannot show weakness in front of President Putin. That is not you and that is not in your interest," Macron said ahead of his visit to the White House.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also scheduled to visit Washington this week. This comes at a time of a kind of U-turn by the Trump administration towards Ukraine and relations with Moscow during the Russia-Ukraine war, which has entered its third year.
Reuters reports that Macron and Starmer will seek to influence Trump not to rush into a ceasefire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leave Europe involved in the negotiations and discuss military guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump and the US administration are negotiating with Kiev on an agreement that would allow the United States to recover from Ukraine some of the money spent on weapons allocated to it for defense against Russia.
Trump announced last weekend that he believed an agreement would be reached soon.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last Wednesday rejected demands from the United States to provide $500 billion in mineral resources to repay Washington for aid.
Zelensky said the United States has not yet provided aid worth anywhere near that amount – and has not offered security guarantees.
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