Macron’s message to Trump: ‘You can’t be weak in the face of Putin’
The French President will meet his American counterpart in Washington on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he intends to tell Donald Trump that it is in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to “be weak” in the face of Russia’s Vladimir Putin amid US-led negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Mr Macron will travel to Washington to meet Mr Trump on Monday, the White House said.
In a one-hour question-and-answer session on social media on Thursday, Mr Macron said he will tell Mr Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President Putin.
“It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”
Mr Trump’s recent statements that echo Mr Putin’s narrative, and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried.
Mr Putin “doesn’t know what he (Trump) is going to do, he thinks (Trump) is capable of anything,” Mr Macron said. “This uncertainty is good for us and for Ukraine.”
Mr Macron added he would seek to persuade his American counterpart that US interests and Europeans’ interests are the same, telling him: “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”
That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Mr Macron reaffirmed.
“We want peace, but we don’t want a ceasefire that means Ukraine surrendering, because that’s dangerous. And we know that would lead to Russia going further. We’ve already experienced it,” he said.
Mr Macron also appeared ready to answer Mr Trump’s call to boost defence spending. “Us, Europeans, we must increase our war effort,” he said.
Asked about whether he is considering sending French troops to Ukraine, he said he would not send soldiers to fight in Ukraine but rather a security force meant to bring “guarantees” once a peace deal is achieved.
“We don’t rule out, within a framework planned with our allies, the possibility of having forces which, once peace has been negotiated, could contribute to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security,” he said.
