US President Donald Trump looks at as French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at a press conference at the White House on Monday — Reuters WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters/BBC): US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron displayed stark differences on Monday in their approach to Ukraine, exposing a divide between the United States and Europe over Trump's bid for a quick ceasefire deal with Russia.
During a day of talks between the two leaders, Trump and Macron showed a friendly rapport based on years of good ties. But Macron made clear he disagreed with Trump on some key issues as they marked three years since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump refused to refer to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator, after calling Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator last week. Macron said it was clear that Russia "is the aggressor" in the conflict, a topic Trump wavered on last week.
"President Putin violated the peace," Macron said at a joint press conference with Trump. Trump expressed a desire for a ceasefire as soon as possible and said he was trying to arrange one between Ukraine and Russia. He said he could go to Moscow to meet Putin once a deal is reached.
Macron, on the other hand, urged a more deliberate approach, starting with a truce and then a peace deal that includes security guarantees."We want peace, he wants peace. We want peace swiftly, but we don't want an agreement that is weak," Macron told reporters. Any peace deal, he said, must be "assessed, checked and verified."
The two leaders did agree, however, on the deployment of European peacekeeping forces once a peace deal is eventually reached.
"They would not be along the front lines. They would not be part of any conflict. They would be there to ensure that the peace is respected," Macron said earlier in the Oval Office with Trump.
Trump said he accepts the concept, as does Putin. "Yeah, he will accept that," Trump said about Putin's position on a peacekeeping force. "I specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it."
Macron, the first European leader to visit Trump since he regained power a month ago, called his discussions with Trump "a turning point" in the drive for a more unified approach.
Macron is trying to capitalise on a relationship with Trump built during their first presidential terms. The French leader showed how he has managed to deal with the unpredictable Trump without alienating him.
At one point during their Oval Office meeting, Macron touched Trump's arm and carefully corrected the US president's claim that Europe had delivered all of its aid as loans.
Trump reported progress on reaching a revenue-sharing agreement with Ukraine on Ukrainian minerals as a way to recoup the cost of weaponry pumped into Ukraine by the previous Biden administration. Trump said he expected Zelensky to come to the United States this week or next week to seal the agreement.
US sides with Russia in UN
resolutions on Ukraine
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the United Nations to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war.
First the US opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity - voting the same way as Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then the US drafted and voted for a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia. The Security Council passed the resolution but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
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