French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington “next week” to meet with US President Donald Trump, French EU Minister Benjamin Haddad announced.
The visit comes as Trump escalates his attacks on Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of being a “dictator” and blaming him for the war with Russia.
Haddad stated that Macron’s trip aims to “defend European interests” and shape the framework for a “stable and sustainable peace” between Kyiv and Moscow. However, the minister did not confirm Trump’s claim that Macron would arrive as early as Monday.
It also remains unclear whether Macron will be accompanied by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as suggested by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Meanwhile, Starmer’s office confirmed earlier this week that he would visit Washington next week, though the exact date had not been finalised.
Highlighted European divisions
Macron recently convened two crisis summits on Monday and Wednesday with EU leaders, NATO representatives, and Canadian officials to address the transatlantic crisis and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meetings aimed to forge a unified approach to counter the Trump administration’s policies and strengthen support for Ukraine.
However, the summits revealed deep divisions among EU member states over the security guarantees Europe could offer Ukraine in the context of a potential peace deal. These discussions took place as bilateral US-Russia negotiations are already underway, leaving both European and Ukrainian leaders feeling sidelined.
Haddad warned that European leaders “risk being on the sidelines of History.” Meanwhile, Macron’s upcoming visit to Washington is intended to demonstrate to the Trump administration that Europe can play a significant role in shaping the outcome of any future peace agreements.
The French president aims to show that European nations “can weigh in” on the negotiations and “have the capacity to bring security guarantees [to Ukraine] to the table.”
