President Donald Trump has spent much of the past week renegotiating longstanding foreign policy with the United States’ European allies. The policy shift stems from Trump’s long-expressed desire to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, which surpassed the three-year mark on Monday.
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Macron on Monday
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Trump at the White House on Monday. The two leaders were shown to be friendly towards each other, however Macron made clear their stark disagreements on Ukraine.
One disagreement stemmed from how Trump has refused to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a dictator but has used the same term to describe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who he falsely blamed for starting the war despite Putin being the one to invade Ukraine unprovoked.
“We want peace, he wants peace. We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak,” Macron said in a White House press conference.
While Trump has long advocated for an immediate peace deal, Macron emphasized the need for attention to detail in any agreement. At one point during the White House meeting, Macron placed his hand on Trump’s arm and swiftly interrupted him in English to correct Trump’s claim that European countries were “loaning” money to Ukraine.
Macron clarified that the nations were sending real money to Ukraine, to which Trump made a disapproving hand gesture and responded, “If you believe that, it’s okay with me.”
Starmer on Thursday
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited the White House Thursday, also seeking a guarantee of U.S. security assistance for Ukraine in any peace deal reached between Russia and Ukraine. Trump once again emphasized his desire for a quick ceasefire, with Starmer saying that history must reflect the fact that Russia started the war.
“History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader,” Starmer said.
Starmer also extended an invitation to Trump for an “unprecedented” second state visit to the United Kingdom from King Charles III. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, hosted Trump for his first UK state visit in 2019.
Zelenskyy meeting collapses
Trump cut talks short with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a Friday meeting in the Oval Office descended into a shouting match between the two leaders.
Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance repeatedly berated the Ukrainian leader, accusing him of being ungrateful for U.S. aid and “gambling with World War III.”
A scheduled press conference with the two leaders was subsequently cancelled, with Trump ordering the Ukrainian delegation to leave the White House. An agreement on U.S. access to Ukrainian minerals was left unsigned.
Trump later reacted to the exchange on social media.
“[Zelenskyy] disrespected the United State of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The Ukrainian leader did thank the American people in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) following the meeting.
“Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” Zelenskyy said.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at sahil.gupta@marquette.edu. Mia Thurow also contributed to this report.
