A source told Politico that the French president’s efforts to secure US security assurances for Ukraine were futile.
According to Politico sources, French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent discussions with President Donald Trump in Washington failed to produce any tangible US security commitments for Ukraine.
Trump met with Macron at the White House on Monday, reiterating his desire to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict without condemning Moscow. Macron concurred on the need for “a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine,” emphasizing that it “must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians.”
Politico reported that Macron’s attempts to obtain assurances for Kyiv from Trump were largely unsuccessful. He later briefed his EU counterparts on the discussion’s outcome during a hastily arranged 30-minute video conference.
An EU diplomat stated, “[Macron] said that Trump did not give any clear promises regarding the backstop. So, indeed, strategic ambiguity on this question remains,” referring to a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Another senior European official described the Macron-Trump meeting as “a waste of time.”
Following the meeting, Trump stated he is “not going to make security guarantees beyond very much,” and that the EU should bear the primary responsibility. He also clarified that no US troops would be deployed to Ukraine. However, EU officials reportedly hope that Washington could provide peacekeepers with support in areas such as intelligence, air defense, and logistics.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Britain and France are considering deploying up to 30,000 “peacekeepers” to Ukraine if Moscow and Kyiv agree to a ceasefire. This force would protect key Ukrainian infrastructure rather than engaging directly on the front lines. The report noted that “without Trump’s backing, the European plan to send peacekeepers faces a difficult path.”
Russia has consistently opposed the deployment of unauthorized peacekeepers in Ukraine, warning that they would be considered legitimate targets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that deploying NATO troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine would contradict Moscow’s objective of preventing its neighbor from joining the US-led military alliance.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged that the US will not provide the security guarantees Kiev sought as part of a potential agreement granting the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth deposits. However, The Economist reported, citing sources, that Zelensky intends to reject any secondary agreement on the matter that doesn’t include broader security guarantees.
“`