"I am here as a friend": facing Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron wants "guarantees" for peace in Ukraine

On a trip to Washington this Monday, February 24 , French President Emmanuel Macron called for building a "lasting and solid" peace in Ukraine. The tenant of the Élysée Palace is meeting Donald Trump, three years after the start of the Russian aggression.

"This is what will be discussed during our meeting (with Donald Trump, Editor's note)," explained the French president, considering that it is "a common objective" for France and the United States.

"We need guarantees so that peace is solid and the situation is stable," added Emmanuel Macron.

"I am here as a friend," the head of state assured his American counterpart Donald Trump. In mid-February, the White House tenant made a strategic break by speaking with Vladimir Putin and calling Volodymyr Zelensky an "unelected dictator."

Europeans fear a peace negotiated only between Washington and Moscow, which would mean a capitulation for Kiev and would endanger Europe's security in the face of "the existential threat" from Russia .

During this trip of a few hours to the United States, Emmanuel Macron will try to bring Europe back into the game of negotiations with a view to putting an end to the war in Ukraine. For the Old Continent, this is "an important moment", according to the French president this Monday who judges that "Europe is ready to be a more important partner for the defense and security of the continent".

"I think we've made a lot of progress," the US president said, referring to the G7 meeting held on Monday. "We're trying to end this war between Ukraine and Russia. I think in a few weeks, we've made a lot of progress," Donald Trump said from the White House. The US president also said that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky could also visit the United States "this week or next."