What did Macron say about the results of his meeting with Trump?

^{Photo: Reuters}
French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Fox News that he believes a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia can be reached "in the coming weeks."

"First, there needs to be a ceasefire. I think it will be possible in the coming weeks. [...] If it is not respected, this will be the best proof that Russia is not taking this seriously," Macron said.

He continued by saying that during the ceasefire, it would be possible to hold talks on long-term peace, security guarantees, and the restoration of the territory and Ukraine. The United States could sign an agreement on rare metals, which Macron believes would be the best guarantee of US support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

At the same time, the French president stressed that any peace agreement should not be a "surrender of Ukraine" and should be reinforced with security guarantees.

Among the possible options for such guarantees, Macron said he was ready to send a "strong army" to Kiev (at least 800,000 soldiers, he specified) and a European peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine. According to him, together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, they are developing a proposal that would involve the deployment of European troops "not on the front lines, but in separate places agreed upon in the peace agreement." Their participation, Macron said, would help maintain peace "with the support of the United States" and show "collective trust in us."

Macron said that he had already discussed his proposals with the leaders of 30 other European countries, and many of them were ready to participate in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.

Macron gave an interview to Fox News shortly after his meeting with Donald Trump and a joint press conference with the American president.

At the press conference, Trump also said that his goal was first to establish a truce, and then to establish a long-term peace. But he did not mention security guarantees.

“We want a quick but not fragile [peace] agreement,” Macron said at a news conference.

The French and US presidents have agreed that a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine should be part of the peace deal. Trump said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about it, and he said he would agree to it.

“I asked him [Putin] that question on purpose,” Trump said. “He has no problem with it.” Russian officials have previously rejected the idea of ​​deploying European troops in Ukraine.

French President Macron is the first European leader to meet with Donald Trump since he returned to the White House. Macron is joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington this week to meet with Trump. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”