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Trump added that the cost and burden of securing peace should be paid by the nations of Europe, not just the US, noting that his French counterpart agrees with this.
US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron held a joint press conference on Monday following their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office.
In his speech, Trump said that the purpose of today's meeting was to end the war in Ukraine and the countless deaths that have occurred on the battlefield.
" Hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have died needlessly, an entire generation has been destroyed. A lot of good things are happening towards peace, and Macron has been on board with this idea from the beginning. I think Macron agrees that this is the right time... it may be the only time to end the war ," Trump said.
Trump then added that the cost and burden of securing peace should be paid by the nations of Europe, not just the US, noting that his French counterpart agrees with this.
" Europe must take that central role in ensuring Ukraine's long-term security, which they want to do ," he said.
Trump also spoke of his desire to "recover the colossal amount of money" that the US has spent, over $300 billion.
"The US should have an agreement with Ukraine on critical minerals and rare earths as a security," he said, adding that progress is being made in this direction.
Trump also spoke about a number of issues, including border security and inflation in the US, as he criticized the previous US administration for the war in Ukraine.
"The immaturity of the Joe Biden administration led to the deaths of many, many people. In contrast, the Trump administration is focused on fixing it and will do so as quickly as possible," Trump said, referring to the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Trump for the friendship between America and France. He said they had made "very substantial steps forward" in discussions on Ukraine, insisting that Europe had not shied away from its responsibilities to help the country.
“ The EU invested $128 billion in Ukraine's security - emphasizing the word investment, because Ukraine has held the front for the "collective security" of all of Europe. We greatly admire the courage of the Ukrainian people and I believe that no one in this room wants to live in a world where the will of the most powerful can simply be imposed and where internationally recognized borders can simply be violated ,” Macron said.
The French leader went on to say that he and Trump had long discussions about their desire to end the conflict in Ukraine and to have a ceasefire that is measurable, verifiable, and that allows for sustainable peace negotiations.
Macron also spoke about security guarantees that will preserve this peace in the long term, echoing Trump's words, saying he wants to be a "player for peace" in the region.
" Peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine, or a ceasefire without guarantees. It must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other interested parties on issues that affect it ," Macron said.
From their statements it seems that both want to end the war, but in different ways. Macron emphasizes that any peace agreement must come with guarantees for the security of Ukraine. While Trump has not mentioned anything on this occasion.
" We have the same desire, peace as soon as possible ," Macron added.
Macron concluded his speech by saying that he and Trump had extremely productive discussions, and that he fully believes there is a good path forward.
" We have shared our beliefs and demands and we know all the work that remains to be done ," he told reporters, adding that they will meet again in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Trump was then asked about negotiations and a possible peace deal with Russia, to which he responded by saying that "his people" are dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin constantly.
"My whole life is deals, that's all I know," he said, insisting he knows when someone wants to make a deal.
"When I came into office one of the first calls I made was to President Putin and he wants to end the war. We are working on the deal now, a ceasefire could happen sooner ," Trump added.
Asked about Vladimir Putin, Macron responded first by saying that he had not spoken to Putin for a long time, but stressed that with a change in US policy, he could restore relations with Russia.
" I haven't spoken to the Russian leader for some time, but with a new US administration, I hope for a new context and a new opportunity to re-engage ," Macron said.
On the other hand, Trump repeats another claim that he has made several times, that the war that began two years into Joe Biden's presidency would not have started if he were president.
" I really believe he wants to make a deal, I could be wrong, but I believe he wants to make a deal. Putin can continue to lead Russia in a very positive way ," Trump said of Putin.
Macron said today's discussion showed some areas of progress, while stressing that neither side wants a 'fragile' peace agreement.
" We have worked to have a proposal for an action plan that is acceptable to Ukraine and it is important to have confirmation that Trump will meet soon with Ukrainian President Zelensky to agree on an agreement on critical minerals ," Macron said.
Concluding the joint press conference, the US president thanked Emmanuel Macron for the trip to the White House.
" We'll see you again soon... we'll work this out, we'll do this, " Trump said, as they shook hands and hugged, before both left the stage./ Pamphlet
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