French President Emmanuel Macron is positioning himself as a Trump-whisperer, as displayed during a meeting at the White House on Monday. Macron showed appreciation for Trump by frequently thanking him for adjusting his schedule to meet on short notice. He also corrected Trump on a significant global issue, maintaining a diplomatic relationship. Macron went to Washington on a last-minute mission to repair the growing divide between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and to promote negotiations to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. European leaders have expressed concern over Trump’s negative comments towards Zelensky and his shift towards Moscow. The US joined Russia, North Korea and Iran in opposing a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In recent weeks, Trump has made aggressive statements towards long-standing US allies, offering military assistance only if Ukraine gives up valuable rare earth minerals. Macron, however, is attempting to maintain a different reality and keep peace talks moving forward, seeing the proposal as a way to secure US investment in defending Ukraine. Despite Trump not making any promises regarding Ukraine or Europe’s security, Macron assured that any violation by Russia of a potential peace agreement would result in conflict. Trump remained silent on US obligations to defend Europe from a Russian invasion. Overall, US policy shifts have strengthened Russia’s hand in negotiations, and some fear it will undermine the negotiation position.

Source: https://time.com/7261261/macron-trump-ukraine/