French President Emmanuel Macron has called Donald Trump’s return to power an “electroshock” that should push Europe to secure both its own future and Ukraine’s. He warned that Ukraine’s capitulation to Russia would be “bad news for everyone,” but described Trump’s outreach to Putin as a “window of opportunity” for a negotiated solution.
In an interview with the Financial Times at the Élysée Palace, Macron emphasized that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could negotiate on behalf of his country, warning that “peace that is a capitulation” would be “bad news for everyone,” including the US.
“The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably, and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis. After that, it’s up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia,” Macron told FT, adding that “we all need to stay collectively vigilant.”
Following Trump’s separate discussions with Putin and Zelenskyy on 14 February 2025, Macron said Trump had created a “window of opportunity” for a negotiated solution.
The US role is to “restart this dialogue” and take the lead, as Trump has introduced an “element of strategic disruption.” Macron said Zelenskyy alone should handle “territorial and sovereignty issues,” while the international community, particularly Europe, must define security guarantees and the broader regional security framework.
“That is where we have a role to play,” he emphasized.
The French leader championed the need for Europe to muscle up on defense and the economy, arguing that Europe should take on more responsibility for its own security through increased economic independence and reduced reliance on the US and China.
Macron has been leading discussions about guaranteeing any peace deal, including the possibility of deploying troops to Ukraine. While Zelenskyy stated that only a force of 150,000 to 200,000 troops with US involvement would deter Russia, Macron called such a large deployment “far-fetched,” saying they “have to do things that are appropriate, realistic, well thought, measured and negotiated.“
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