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- Macron will travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said
- Putin 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 know what he (Trump) is going to do, he thinks (Trump) is capable of anything,鈥� Macron said
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said that he intends to tell US counterpart Donald Trump that it鈥檚 in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to 鈥渂e weak鈥� in the face of Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid US-led negotiations to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
Macron will travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said.
In a one-hour question and answer session on social media Thursday, Macron said that he鈥檒l tell Trump: 鈥溾€橸ou can鈥檛 be weak in the face of President Putin. It鈥檚 not you, it鈥檚 not your trademark, it鈥檚 not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you鈥檙e weak in the face of Putin?鈥欌€�
Trump鈥檚 recent statements that echo Putin鈥檚 narrative and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried. But Macron suggested Trump鈥檚 strategy to create 鈥渦ncertainty鈥� in talks with Russia could actually make Western allies stronger in these talks.
Putin 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 know what he (Trump) is going to do, he thinks (Trump) is capable of anything,鈥� Macron said. 鈥淭his uncertainty is good for us and for Ukraine.鈥�
Macron said that he would seek to persuade Trump that US interests and Europeans鈥� interests are the same, telling him: 鈥淚f you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.鈥�
That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Macron said.
鈥淲e want peace. But we don鈥檛 want a ceasefire that means Ukraine surrendering, because that鈥檚 dangerous. And we know that would lead to Russia going further. We鈥檝e already experienced it,鈥� he said.
Macron also appeared ready to answer Trump鈥檚 call to boost defense spending. 鈥淯s, Europeans, we must increase our war effort,鈥� he said.
Asked about whether he鈥檚 considering sending French troops to Ukraine, he said he wouldn鈥檛 send soldiers to fight in Ukraine but rather to be part of a security force meant to bring 鈥済uarantees鈥� once a peace deal is achieved.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 rule out, within a framework planned with our allies, the possibility of having forces which, once peace has been negotiated, could contribute to guaranteeing Ukraine鈥檚 security,鈥� he said.