By Abigail Philip David
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, where he will present “proposals for action” aimed at countering the “Russian threat” in Europe and securing peace in Ukraine.
Macron’s visit coincides with the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine. He hopes to persuade Trump to include European leaders in any potential negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, amid concerns that Trump may sideline European nations and Kyiv in diplomatic discussions.
Trump recently caused alarm in Europe by signaling his willingness to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while echoing Russian narratives about Ukraine’s role in the conflict. European leaders fear he may make concessions favorable to Moscow.
In response, Macron has sought to unify Europe’s position, holding meetings with key leaders last week. Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, he described Russia as “an existential threat to Europeans” and stressed the need for collective action.
“You have a power that has overly armed itself… and continues to arm itself,” Macron said before departing for Washington. “We don’t know where it will stop today. So we must all act to contain it.”
Macron will represent Europe as a whole during his talks with Trump, following consultations with leaders across the continent, including Hungary’s Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. His proposals will reflect the consensus reached in these discussions, according to a presidential advisor.
A key objective of Macron’s visit is to persuade Trump to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine while ensuring that European interests are taken into account. He also hopes to convince Trump that Russia poses a significant threat to Europe and that Putin “will not respect” a ceasefire.
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is scheduled to visit the White House later this week, have coordinated their approach. Both leaders are also discussing the possible deployment of European forces to Ukraine post-peace agreement, as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
“The idea is to deploy soldiers to a second line, not on the front line. This could be combined with a multinational operation, with non-European contingents,” said a French source familiar with the discussions.
Macron and Starmer are expected to seek “solid security guarantees” from Trump for any deployed European forces. While Trump’s administration has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine, European leaders hope for other forms of American support, such as logistics and intelligence-sharing.
Additionally, European nations plan to increase defense spending, addressing Trump’s long-standing complaints about the U.S. bearing too much of the security burden for the region. Macron emphasized that closer U.S.-European cooperation is mutually beneficial.
“It is in his interest to work with the Europeans because Europe has a capacity for growth — an economic potential — to cooperate with Americans,” Macron stated.
