Seoul Gazette - Macron holds 'very friendly' Trump talks as transatlantic ties shaken

On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, Trump welcomed Macron to the Oval Office to jointly take part in a call with the heads of the G7 leading economies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Very good, very friendly," Macron told reporters as he strolled down the driveway of the White House when asked how his welcome from Trump had been.

Macron added that the G7 call was "perfect."

"We had the first discussion, and I'll come back very soon," he said ahead of a formal meeting with Trump later Monday.

A video posted by Zelensky on X showed Trump behind his desk during the G7 call with the French president on his right hand side and US Vice President JD Vance to his left.

At their meeting later, the French leader will present his "proposals for action" to counter the "Russian threat," an advisor to the president said. They will also hold a joint press conference.

Both Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are at the White House this week as they hope to persuade Trump to stick by Kyiv and to include European leaders in talks between Moscow and Washington.

- 'Cannot be weak' -

Trump sent shock waves around the world when he declared his readiness to resume diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin and to hold talks without the involvement of European nations or Kyiv.

He has repeated Russian talking points about Ukraine's supposed responsibility in starting the war, raising concern in Europe that he will side with Moscow to end the conflict.

But Trump's tone has also raised wider fears that 80-year-old transatlantic ties formed in the wake of World War II are under threat.

Macron has tried to coordinate a European response to Washington's sudden policy shift, hoping to use a bond he fostered with Trump during the US president's first term.

The French president last week said he would tell the Republican: "You cannot be weak in the face of President Putin."

Trump however hit back, saying that both Macron and Starmer -- the leaders of Europe's two nuclear powers -- had done "nothing" to try to end the Ukraine war over the past three years.

As he headed to Washington on Sunday, Macron said that Russia was an "existential threat to Europeans."

Macron is representing the European Union as a whole during his visit, after meeting leaders across the continent including Moscow-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the advisor to the president said.

Macron aims to persuade Trump to continue some US support for Ukraine, respecting its sovereignty and ensuring that European interests are fully considered, the advisor added.

He also seeks to convince Trump that Putin "will not respect" a ceasefire.

- 'Security guarantees' -

Macron and Starmer, who will visit Trump on Thursday, coordinated on messaging prior to the French president's departure for the United States this weekend.

Britain and France are also discussing the deployment of European forces in Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached to deter Russia from future attacks.

"The idea is to deploy soldiers to a second line, not on the front line. This could be combined with a multinational operation, with non-European contingents," said a French source close to the discussions.

Macron and Starmer are expected to ask Trump to provide "solid security guarantees" for the deployed forces.

European leaders would also commit to increasing their defense spending as Trump seeks to reduce US commitment, no longer wanting to bear the burden of the region's security.

Although the Trump administration has ruled out committing US soldiers, Europe hopes it could provide other support, such as logistics or intelligence.

US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told reporters on Monday that "we expect to talk quite a bit about the security guarantees that Macron has put on the table."

Trump and Macron would also discuss the thorny issue of trade with the European Union, with the US president threatening sweeping tariffs against the bloc, said Waltz.

C.Noh--SG