• NATO
• Ukraine

February 24, 2025, 5:07 PM View Comments ()

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the White House on Monday to discuss the best path toward achieving a Russia-Ukraine peace deal. But as world leaders convened in Kyiv to mark the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s position appeared divided from what U.S. President Donald Trump wants.

Macron argued on Monday that an end to the conflict must ensure “a solid and long-standing peace” for Kyiv. He said Europe is willing to step up to become a “stronger partner” in terms of defense spending, trade, and investments—all things that Trump has pressured the United States’ fellow NATO allies to bolster. And he praised Trump several times in what experts argue is an appeal to the U.S. president’s ego.

At the same time, Macron reiterated that Kyiv and Europe must be part of all future peace negotiations, after Saudi Arabia hosted high-level U.S.-Russia talks last week that failed to include a Ukrainian delegation. And he warned that Kyiv must receive security guarantees, or else Russian President Vladimir Putin will invade again.

Meanwhile, the White House is still far from where the majority of NATO stands. On Monday, the United States voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine and called for Russian-occupied territory to be returned to Kyiv. The resolution passed overwhelmingly despite Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and other authoritarian nations also voting against it.

In recent days, Trump has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a “dictator”; falsely indicated that Ukraine is to blame for starting the war; and suggested that Kyiv should accept major concessions, such as not achieving NATO membership and losing nearly 20 percent of its land.

Read more in today’s World Brief: Trump, Macron Debate Path Toward Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal.