Macron Set to Meet Trump in US for Talks on Ukraine and Tariffs

Synopsis

French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to the US to engage in discussions with President Donald Trump, focusing on the Ukraine crisis and looming US tariffs. This visit underscores the importance of European perspectives in international negotiations.

Key Takeaways

Macron emphasizes the need for European input in Ukraine negotiations.
Discussions include potential US tariffs on European goods.
France does not plan to send troops to Ukraine currently.
Meetings aim to unify European stance on Ukraine.
Macron's commitment to support Ukraine remains strong.

Paris, Feb 20 (NationPress) French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit the United States for talks with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, primarily concentrating on the Ukraine situation and the potential US tariffs, as confirmed by French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad on Thursday.

In an interview with French broadcaster LCI, Haddad noted that Macron had already engaged in discussions with Trump twice this week regarding Ukraine. He stated, "Our approach is to keep the lines of communication open with the President of the United States to ensure that the European perspective is included in these negotiations."

Macron is anticipated to stress to Trump that "the future of Ukraine cannot be determined without the Ukrainians, and the future and security of Europe cannot be negotiated and decided without the Europeans." Haddad emphasized that Europe has made greater contributions to Ukraine than the United States and thus deserves a voice in the discussions.

Additionally, Macron will confront the tariffs that Trump plans to impose on European goods. "A trade war, protectionism is not beneficial for anyone," the minister cautioned.

This week, Macron has convened European and non-European allies on two occasions to establish a unified stance on Ukraine. Both meetings concluded with a consensus that any peace negotiations should involve both Ukraine and Europe, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, Macron indicated that France is not preparing to deploy ground troops to Ukraine.

However, he did not dismiss the possibility that if a peace agreement is reached between Kyiv and Moscow, France might send experts or a limited number of troops to non-conflict areas to "support Ukrainians and show solidarity."

He also reiterated that there can be "no enduring peace without the Ukrainians and the Europeans."

On Monday, Macron organized a summit on Ukraine, which included leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Commission, alongside representatives from France, Germany, Britain, Poland, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

The objective of the meeting was to synchronize a common European response prior to the Russian-US negotiations. Notably, neither Brussels nor Kiev were included in the discussions.