Trump expresses hope Russia's war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he meets with France's Macron
President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russia's war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he met Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of the invasion. But France's leader cautioned that it's crucial that any potential agreement with Moscow does not amount to surrender for Ukraine.
Their talks come at a moment of deep uncertainty about the future of transatlantic relations, with Trump transforming American foreign policy and effectively tuning out European leadership as he looks to quickly end the war in Ukraine.
While Macron and Trump made nice at the White House, their countries were at loggerheads at the United Nations over resolutions describing Russia as the aggressor in the war.
Trump, in broad comments on the state of the conflict, said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Yeah, he will accept it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Trump said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트I have asked him that question. Look, if we do this deal, he바카라 게임 웹사이트s not looking for more war.바카라 게임 웹사이트
And Trump said he hoped that the war could end within weeks and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon come to the U.S. to sign a deal giving America access to Ukraine's critical minerals that are used in key technology.
Trump is pressing the economic deal to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid for Kyiv since the start of the war 바카라 게임 웹사이트 tens of billions of which is being spent in the U.S. to replenish older weapons sent to Ukraine.
바카라 게임 웹사이트It looks like we바카라 게임 웹사이트re getting very close,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Trump told reporters of the minerals deal before his meeting with Macron. He said Zelenskyy could potentially visit Washington this week or next to sign it.
Ensuring security for Ukraine
Ukraine also is looking for future security guarantees as part of any agreement. Trump, however, did not say whether the emerging deal would include such assurances from the United States: 바카라 게임 웹사이트Europe is going to make sure nothing happens.바카라 게임 웹사이트
At a joint press conference following their meeting, Macron acknowledged that European nations must do more to bolster defense on the continent. But he also warned against capitulating to Russia.
"This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine," Macron said. "It must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Macron cut off direct communication with Putin after Russian forces carried out brutal operations in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha months into the conflict. But he said the moment has changed and he hopes Trump's engagement with Putin can lead to something fruitful.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Now, there is a big chance because there is a new U.S. administration, so this is a new context,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Macron said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트So there is good reason for President Trump to reengage with President Putin.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Putin said Monday that he has not discussed resolving the conflict in Ukraine in detail with Trump and neither did Russian and American negotiating teams when they met in Saudi Arabia last week.
Putin also said Russia does not rule out European countries 바카라 게임 웹사이트 who were dismayed that they and Ukraine were not invited to the table in Riyadh 바카라 게임 웹사이트 participating in a peace settlement.
America's ties with Europe
The war's anniversary 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and the talks at the White House 바카라 게임 웹사이트 come at an unnerving moment for much of Europe as it witnesses a dramatic shift in American foreign policy under Trump.
Besides rare earth minerals from Ukraine, Trump has made demands for territory 바카라 게임 웹사이트 Greenland, Canada, Gaza and the Panama Canal. Just over a month into his second term, the 바카라 게임 웹사이트America First바카라 게임 웹사이트 president has cast an enormous shadow over what veteran U.S. diplomats and former government officials had regarded as America바카라 게임 웹사이트s calming presence of global stability and continuity.
Despite some hiccups, the military, economic and moral power of the United States has dominated the post-World War II era, most notably after the Cold War came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union. All of that, some fear, may be lost if Trump gets his way and the U.S. abandons the principles under which the United Nations and numerous other international bodies were founded.
바카라 게임 웹사이트The only conclusion you can draw is that 80 years of policy in standing up against aggressors has just been blown up without any sort of discussion or reflection,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Ian Kelly, a U.S. ambassador to Georgia during the Obama and first Trump administrations and now a professor at Northwestern University.
European leaders in Washington
Trump is set to hold a meeting Thursday with another key European leader, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump shook Europe with repeated criticism of Zelenskyy for failing to negotiate an end to the war and rebuffing a push to sign off on a deal giving the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical minerals, which could be used in the American aerospace, medical and tech industries.
Zelenskyy initially bristled, saying it was short on security guarantees. He said Sunday on X that 바카라 게임 웹사이트we are making great progress바카라 게임 웹사이트 but noted that 바카라 게임 웹사이트we want a good economic deal that will be part of a true security guarantee system for Ukraine.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Zelenskyy, who said Sunday in response to a question that he would trade his office for peace or to join NATO, had angered Trump by saying the U.S. president was living in a Russian-made 바카라 게임 웹사이트disinformation space.바카라 게임 웹사이트
As part of the public spat, Trump called Zelenskyy a 바카라 게임 웹사이트dictator바카라 게임 웹사이트 and falsely charged Kyiv with starting the war. Russia, in fact, invaded its smaller and lesser-equipped neighbor in February 2022.
Asked Monday if he thought Putin was also a dictator, Trump demurred: 바카라 게임 웹사이트I don바카라 게임 웹사이트t use those words lightly.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Some daylight between allies
While Macron and Trump were meeting, including participating in a virtual meeting with fellow Group of Seven leaders, the United States split with its European allies at the United Nations by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in a series of resolutions.
The U.S. abstained from voting on its own proposal after the Europeans, led by France, succeeded in changing it to make clear that Russia was the aggressor.
Before meeting with Trump, Macron said he intended to tell him that it바카라 게임 웹사이트s in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to show weakness to Putin and that Trump's dealings with the Russian leader could affect ties with China, the United States' most significant economic and military competitor.
바카라 게임 웹사이트You can바카라 게임 웹사이트t be weak in the face of President Putin. It바카라 게임 웹사이트s not you, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s not your trademark, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s not in your interest," Macron said. "How can you then be credible in the face of China if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re weak in the face of Putin?바카라 게임 웹사이트
Yet, Trump has shown a considerable measure of respect for the Russian leader. Trump said this month he'd like to see Russia rejoin the G7. Russia was suspended from the G8 after Moscow바카라 게임 웹사이트s 2014 annexation of Ukraine바카라 게임 웹사이트s Crimea region.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I really believe he wants to make a deal,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Trump said. "I may be wrong, but I believe he wants to make a deal.
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AP writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Emma Burrows in London and Sagar Meghani, Chris Megerian and Will Weissert contributed reporting.