The President urged European leaders to cease “funding” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and further criticized them for not adequately pressuring China.
A White House official, speaking to Digital after a phone call involving Trump, Ukrainian President and European leaders gathered in Paris for a Coalition of the Willing summit, stated that “President Trump stressed that Europe needs to halt its purchases of Russian oil, which are funding the war – given that Russia earned €1.1 billion [approximately $1.3 billion] from fuel sales to the EU in a single year.”
The official further added, “The President also underscored the necessity for European leaders to exert economic pressure on China due to its financial support for Russia’s war endeavors.”
While the EU has significantly reduced its imports of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine, the president’s remarks highlight that it has not entirely ceased its energy purchases from Moscow.
The White House did not verify the source of its figures or the timeframe they covered.
The official noted that the U.S., during Trump’s tenure, has not been part of the Coalition supporting Ukraine, and mentioned that “[French] President [Emmanuel] Macron and other European leaders invited President Trump to join their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting.”
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was also present at the Paris meeting and was observed shaking hands and embracing Zelenskyy at the outset of the Thursday session, as per a posted by Macron’s office.
Notwithstanding the firm stance from the White House, Macron characterized the Coalition of the Willing as having achieved “significant progress in Paris” on Thursday.
The specific outcomes of the summit are still not clear, though Macron stated after the meeting that around 26 nations had committed to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” to Ukraine the day after a ceasefire agreement is reached, as reported by the BBC – a measure that Putin has consistently denounced.
Zelenskyy, in an X post, indicated that the meeting centered on increasing “pressure” on Putin to bring his three-and-a-half-year conflict to an end.
“We discussed strategies to move the situation towards genuine peace,” Zelenskyy stated. “We considered various approaches, with the most crucial being the application of strong measures, especially economic ones, to compel an end to the war.
He further added, “The path to peace lies in starving Russia’s war machine of funds and resources.”
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned that leaders deliberated on improving Ukraine’s aerial defense against the continuous onslaught of missile and drone attacks by , although the White House did not reply to Digital’s inquiries regarding potential further U.S. support.
Zelenskyy noted, “Ukraine has put forth a proposal for a sky protection framework for the U.S. to review.” He continued, “I am grateful to President Trump for supporting our populace. We decided to maintain further communication.”
This meeting took place merely one day after and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were in Beijing for a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II hostilities.
Both China and North Korea have continued to be unwavering supporters of Putin throughout his war in , despite condemnation from Western nations.
On Wednesday, Putin also extended an invitation to Zelenskyy for a meeting in Moscow, an offer that Ukrainian and Western security officials have labeled as insincere, particularly with Trump urging the two leaders to convene.
Trump announced that he intends to communicate with Putin in the next few days.