“They joked, held the hand, but did not agree on the question of Ukraine,” sums up from Washington the site Politicoabout the meeting between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Monday, February 24. The French head of state has been going to the United States for the first time since the re-election of the American billionaire at the head of the country, in order to discuss the burning of the ceasefire in Ukraine, on which European Elochean And Americans, and in which Europe is struggling to exist, notes the international press.
“Despite all the hinds and handles, they could not hide the growing gap between the United States and Europe about the war in Ukraine,” notes the New York Times. Since the re-election of Donald Trump, the United States has been growing for the rapid conclusion of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, to the detriment of the territorial integrity of the latter, of which a fifth of the territory is occupied by Moscow. The Europeans, and kyiv herself, try to exist in negotiations which they have so far been marginalized.
A weakened Europe
For The evening,, despite The “good French offices”, therefore difficult to hide the helplessness of Europe “against the diplomatic compressor roller of the Trump administration.” “Europe cannot display a united front. It is delivered to itself, with an American ally which is no longer one, forced to a sudden and painful awakening to build its defense and ensure its own safety “, Note the Swiss daily newspaper Timein an editorial.
Symptom of the erosion of this transatlantic cooperation, while Emmanuel Macron met his counterpart in Washington to evoke the peace process, the United States opposed, at the UN seat in New York, to a resolution condemning the ‘Russian attack. “While Europe and most of the world are ranked on the side of Ukraine, the Trump administration has placed itself on the side of Russia, North Korea and Belarus – either in a camp where the United States has rarely, if never found, “comments the New York Times. For the Washington Postthis indicates no more or less the “deepest division between Western allies within the international organization since the war in Iraq in 2003”.
Emmanuel Macron “used his charm”
“Macron tried to save the transatlantic links in a context that seems to be a historical realignment between Washington and Moscow,” continues the conservative newspaper. Praising “the change of deal” driven by Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron was favorable to an agreement to resolve the conflict. But he called not to exclude kyiv discussions: “We want a quick deal but not a fragile agreement,” he said.
Faced with his counterpart, which he called “dear Donald”, the French president “used his charm”, notes Cnnwhich notes that Emmanuel Macron “used his vast repertoire of compliments, his tactile body language and his handles never seeing ending”. “During most of the meeting, he tried to give a lecture on how to manage a belligerent friend,” observes for his part The Guardianfor whom the tenant of the Elysée mixed “flattery and firmness”. If he has repeatedly used words as “friendship” and “common program”, Emmanuel Macron did not hesitate to salute, for example, the courage of Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, where Donald Trump recently described Volodymyr Zelensky, a democratically elected Ukrainian president, “dictator”. And this, without ever questioning the autocratic character of the regime of Vladimir Putin, at the head of Russia for 25 years.
Despite disagreements, the French president says he is optimistic about the possibility of agreeing on this subject: according to him, “the two leaders have made progress, sketching a path to a peace agreement negotiated with Russia, which would imply Solid security guarantees in the form of European troops deployed in Ukraine, while the American armed forces would act as security net, “reports Politico.
Divergent speech
“A measure that would be part of a wider effort aimed at transferring the weight of support for Ukraine to the shoulders of Europe”, completes the Washington Post. The United States regularly accuses Europe of not investing in the Atlantic Alliance. But beyond these declarations, the Kremlin reiterated to oppose the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, although Donald Trump affirms that Vladimir Putin had assured him that he would accept them “.
For his part, the American president has remained vague on the security measures that the United States could guarantee: “We do not know exactly what the United States will do and how they will get involved […] Trump seemed much less committed, vaguely evoking a ‘support of a certain kind, “notes Politico. Proof that Emmanuel Macron’s visit did not quite allow the two leaders to grant their violins.