Macron arrives at the White House for talks with Trump
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the White House on Monday, 24 February, for talks with his American counterpart, Donald Trump.
As reported by Reuters, on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Macron arrived in Washington for discussions with Trump, where they are expected to address the prospects of ending the war amid sharp disagreements over the next steps.
Reuters reports that Macron is the first European leader to visit Trump since his return to power a month ago.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to visit Trump later this week, amid growing European concerns over Trump’s hardened stance on Ukraine.
Macron and Starmer are expected to urge Trump not to rush into a ceasefire deal with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin at any cost, to ensure Europe's continued involvement, and to discuss military guarantees for Ukraine.
Prezydent Francji Emmanuel Macron rozpoczął wizytę w Białym Domu. Jest pierwszym europejskim liderem przyjętym przez Donalda Trumpa w Gabinecie Owalnym od chwili zaprzysiężenia. pic.twitter.com/JHCHM1qgVi
– Paweł Żuchowski (@p_zuchowski) February 24, 2025
Before travelling to the US, Macron and Starmer exchanged views with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
It is also anticipated that Macron and Starmer will try to persuade Trump to support a US-backed peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow would not accept the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine following any settlement agreement.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump backed the idea of deploying European armed forces in Ukraine for a peacekeeping mission.