Macron, Starmer to meet Trump as Europeans flesh out ideas for Ukraine

23/2/2025 13:21

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington next week amid alarm in Europe over U.S. President Donald Trump's hardening stance towards Ukraine and overtures to Moscow on the three-year conflict.



The leaders of Europe's two nuclear powers, who will be travelling separately, are expected to try to convince Trump not to rush to a ceasefire deal with Vladimir Putin at any cost, keep Europe involved and discuss military guarantees to Ukraine.



Macron, who is trying to capitalise on a relationship with Trump built during their first presidential terms, has said agreeing to a bad deal that would amount to a capitulation of Ukraine would signal weakness to the United States' foes, including China and Iran.



The visits come amid a rift between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whom Trump described as a "dictator", that has alarmed Kyiv's European allies, already reeling from a more aggressive U.S. posture on trade, diplomacy and even domestic European politics.