France’s Macron Holds Talks with President Trump at the White House

French President Emmanuel Macron met with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine as well as a possible peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.

Macron is the first European leader to meet President Trump since he began his second term earlier this year. The timing of this meeting between the two leaders seems to be a response from Europe, which felt left out of a possible equation for peace in Ukraine after President Trump decided to negotiate unilaterally with Russia in Saudi Arabia.

Crucially, President Trump announced that a mineral deal with Ukraine could be signed with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the coming weeks. In a post on Truth Social, he highlighted the significance of the “Critical Minerals and Rare-Earths Deal” between the US and Ukraine, noting it would enable the American people to recoup “tens of millions of dollars” from the war in Ukraine.

At the meeting with Trump, Macron said peace for Ukraine must come with guarantees

During the joint press conference, Macron and Trump made significant strides toward peace but warned that a deal won’t happen if Ukraine is forced to surrender. “This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine. It must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders,” said Macron.

President Trump announced that Putin is open to EU peacekeepers in Ukraine. “Yeah, he will accept that. I’ve asked him that question, said Trump, adding, “Troops may go into Ukraine as peacemakers, so when the agreement is done, they can watch that everything is followed properly. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

pic.twitter.com/9pZeARuStB

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2025

Additionally, the US President said there is a real possibility the country could take back some land. However, he recognized that it is “not an easy thing to do” when discussing the possibility of Ukraine taking back some occupied territories.

According to major news outlets, since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has lost close to 11% of its land.

President Trump called for Europe to ensure long-term security in Ukraine

Trump has long criticized the cost of the war in Ukraine for the United States. During this Monday’s joint press conference, the US President said he is pleased that President Macron “agrees that the cost and burden of securing peace must be borne by the nations of Europe, not alone by the United States.”

French President @EmmanuelMacron corrects President Trump.

Trump: “Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back.”

Macron: “No, in fact. To be frank we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort.” pic.twitter.com/03gUM7WwpS

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 24, 2025

President Trump said that the US had been Ukraine’s top benefactor during the war effort, and said “At some point, we should equalize”.

President Trump’s claims on how much the EU has spent have been disputed, as the Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s Ukraine Support Tracker shows that the bloc has spent $137.9bn (€132.3bn) on support for Ukraine, while the US has spent $119.56bn (€114.2bn) on the war effort.