Donald Trump in his second term as President of the United States has shown a sweeping profile on every level at home and abroad. The first month of his presidency has been by far the most “dense” in the 21st century.

The Trump-Macron meeting apart from being critical and long seems to have been a meeting in which for the first time Europe managed to stand up…

Macron and Trump were seated in the familiar White House reception area for foreign leaders, answering questions from reporters. Donald Trump echoed the rhetoric about how Europe has supported Ukraine financially, arguing that what money the Union has given is guaranteed… Emmanuel Macron interrupted by even touching the American President on the shoulder, correcting on live global broadcast the man who since last November’s elections many have questioned but no one has dared to openly and officially deny.

Trump’s smirk in response shows that the French president brought with him behind closed doors solid economic evidence to support his own – not just French but European – side.

Behind the words

Macron may be one of the most “hated” figures for his country’s domestic audience with his moves and policies taking the French en masse into the streets on several occasions. At the end of January, the latest poll put him at an all-time low for the French presidency with just a 21% approval rating from French society. But Emmanuel Macron, outside of office, like it or not as a politician, as a leader or as an orientation – is different.

Macron is the first European politician since 2020 to openly put forward his own plan for Europe within the European Parliament. He is the French President who initially single-handedly insisted for at least five years that Europe must go into structural changes. It is his choice to support the decades-long dormant plan for a Euroconstitution and Eurostate and he is the man who, along with Biden’s US, has been talking daily with the Kremlin to avoid war in Ukraine.

Macron after Merkel is by far the most realistic thing Europe has today to enable it to stand as an equal of the world’s other great powers on the one hand, and on the other to restructure itself by gaining momentum in its “coming of age”.

The French President’s move in the oval office combined with Trump’s embarrassment is a move that we must credit him with and as Europeans we must support it. Macron will be judged by the French citizens and the Europeans at the end of his current final term as well. If we can turn yesterday’s move into a trigger not for revenge but for regrouping, then he will probably be cited for good reasons by the historian of the future.

One Macron does not bring peace

Despite the French president’s stance, however, what happened yesterday is only one step. Macron may have again – clearly and without any spin – labelled Russia an “invader” with Trump’s US voting minutes earlier “against” for the first time in years on the relevant UN text, but on his own it will be extremely difficult to do much more.

The issue of precious earths and the guaranties Trump is calling for will go forward and Europe will have to put its own footnote on it. Merz’s Germany will have to run and at the same time the EU will also have to mobilize to keep voices like Hungary and Slovakia on low decibels. If again France is left alone in this particular battle and if the plans given to Ukraine don’t have the full support of the EU then by default Moscow will be the winner. The manner in which the French President moved should be a guide and the personal grievances for once after decades should be left for later.

What the two leaders said about Ukraine, Europe, rare earths

Trump stressed that Europe must take a central role in ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security, noting that the cost and responsibility for peace cannot be borne by the United States alone. He stressed that Washington has provided “far more” aid to Kiev than any other country and that at some point this contribution must be balanced. At the same time, he referred to the need to reach an agreement with Ukraine on critical minerals and rare earths, so that – as he said – the US can recover some of the huge financial resources it has put in.

For his part, Emmanuel Macron expressed Europe’s commitment to building a lasting peace, stressing that European countries fully understand their responsibilities and are ready to take a greater role in the security and defense of the continent, noting, however, that achieving peace should not imply surrender for Ukraine. He revealed that France has already discussed with Britain the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, while other countries are ready to assist in this effort. Macron stressed that US support would be crucial, adding that Paris and Washington share the same desire: the swift restoration of peace and an international order where everyone takes responsibility.

Macron: Europe wants solid and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible

Europe wants a lasting peace in Ukraine and therefore should play a central role in ensuring peace, French President Emmanuel Macron said among other things during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump.

We want a peace “solid and lasting,” he said, among other things. We have made very substantial steps forward in our talks, but also with our collective security, Macron said of his talks with the US president

The two countries have a “common desire to build peace,” Macron said, stressing that the truce must be “measurable, verifiable and facilitate negotiations for a lasting peace.” But this “should not mean that Ukraine should capitulate,” the French leader added, conveying the spirit of his discussions with dozens of European leaders.

Ukraine is a country in which we should share our responsibilities to ensure stability and security for Ukraine and the whole region. For us in Europe it is an existential issue, he said. Macron expressed his belief that France and the US “have the same desire: permanent, stable peace as soon as possible and the renewal of an international situation where we are all able to take responsibility.”

He stressed that “we are committed as Europeans to build a lasting peace, to be part of these security guarantees as well,” adding that “Europeans are ready to do even more and go even further.” Finally, on the Ukrainian rare earths deal, the French president said it would help ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty.