French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Donald Trump in Washington Monday, both the Elysée and White House confirmed, making him the first European leader to travel to the U.S. capital since Trump’s inauguration.Macron narrowly edged out U.K. leader Keir Starmer, who is visiting Washington on Thursday.Trump “talked to President Macron of France repeatedly last week. President Macron convened European leaders and then is coming here on Monday. Prime Minister Starmer is coming next Thursday,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Thursday.The meeting comes as Western leaders are scrambling to respond to the U.S. president’s decision to negotiate directly with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, potentially sidelining Kyiv and Europe from the process entirely.
Macron on Thursday held a live Q&A on social media during which he said he will try to convince Trump that such a move would be seen as caving to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands and would portray him as weak in the eyes of China and Iran.“The situation is worrying, but not because President Trump wants to negotiate. We have to make him understand that his interests are the same as ours,” said Macron.
“I’m going to tell him that he can’t be weak in the face of Putin when he’ll have to face China next. That’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. It would be a huge strategic mistake,” he added.
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