Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron Meet with President Donald Trump to Discuss Security Guarantees for Ukraine

Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron Meet with President Donald Trump to Discuss Security Guarantees for Ukraine

February 23: French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington this week. This visit comes amid concerns in Europe about the ongoing war with Russia in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump’s firm stance.

The leaders of France and Britain, two nuclear powers, will visit separately and attempt to convince Trump to be cautious before reaching a ceasefire agreement with Russia, and to ensure that Europe remains involved in the discussions. Macron has stated that agreeing to a bad deal that would result in Ukraine’s capitulation would signal weakness to U.S. adversaries, such as China and Iran.

Macron said, “I will tell him: deep down, you know you cannot be weak in the face of President (Putin). It’s not you, it’s not your interests.” He made these comments in a social media session ahead of his Monday visit to the White House.

Macron and Starmer’s visits come amid a deteriorating relationship between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump has described as a "dictator." This has raised concerns among Ukraine's European allies, who are already alarmed by the U.S. stance on trade, diplomacy, and even European domestic politics.

Philip Golub, a professor of international relations at the American University in Paris, said, “They did not expect that such an ultra-nationalist coalition would emerge within the United States, one that would challenge Europe’s voice in global affairs in such a stark manner.”

Macron believes that his visit to Washington plays a “historic role” in ensuring Europe has a say in the final negotiations over Ukraine. However, he has noted that achieving concrete results during this visit may be a different matter.

Starmer, who has also warned that the end of the war cannot be a "temporary pause before Putin attacks again," will be in Washington on Thursday. On Friday, during a Fox News podcast, Trump stated that Macron and Starmer had "done nothing" to end the war. "No meetings with Russia!" he said, though he described Macron as "a friend of mine" and Starmer as "a very nice guy."