President Macron warns Ukraine peace can’t mean ‘surrender’, after Trump talks

Kathmandu: French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that peace cannot mean the ‘surrender’ of Ukraine, but said talks with US President Donald Trump had shown a path forward despite fears of a transatlantic rift.

Meeting at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Monday, the two leaders said there was progress on the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, although Macron insisted on US security guarantees for Kyiv.

The talks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for peace  ‘this year’ as he met European leaders in Kyiv amid mounting fears that Trump is pivoting towards Russia’s stance. Early Tuesday, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine as authorities warned of a wide missile attack.

They later reported at least five people were wounded and multiple buildings were damaged. Authorities in neighboring Poland said they scrambled military aircraft in response to the missile attack. At the United Nations, the United States sided with Russia twice on Monday, as Washington sought to avoid any condemnation of Moscow’s invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.

‘This peace cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine’ President Macron told a joint news conference with Trump. Macron said Trump had “good reason” to re-engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin but said it was critical for Washington to offer “backup” for any European peacekeeping force.

The French president said he would work with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who visits the White House on Thursday, on a proposal to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a deal.

 RSS/AFP