U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed last Wednesday night that he expects his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Washington, “probably on Monday,” against the backdrop of a growing divergence of views on the Ukraine war settlement.

Asked on board the presidential aircraft about the timing of his meeting with Mr Macron, Donald Trump replied “very soon, Monday probably.”

Earlier, a US official had disclosed that the French head of state was expected at the White House “early next week.”

Emmanuel Macron had met with Donald Trump in Paris in early December, ahead of his inauguration in January, during a trilateral meeting in Elise – along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The war in Ukraine is expected to essentially monopolize the talks in Washington, as the Trump administration began direct talks with Russia this week.

The day before yesterday, Tuesday, Russian diplomatic chiefs Sergei Lavrov and US diplomatic chief Marco Rubio held bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia. They agreed to negotiate on Ukraine – without Kiev or the Europeans, who fear a deal will be struck behind their backs that goes against their interests.

President Macron said yesterday (Wednesday) that the position of France and its partners on Ukraine and wider European security is “clear and united” as he continued his contacts with European and other countries.