French President Emmanuel Macron warned Monday that peace cannot mean the "surrender" of Ukraine, but said that talks with US President Donald Trump had shown a path forward despite fears of a transatlantic rift.
Meeting at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, the two leaders said there was progress on the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, although Trump insisted Europe should shoulder the burden.
Their talks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for peace "this year" as he met European leaders in Kyiv, and as UN member states backed a resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity.
The United States however pushed its own language at the UN that declined to blame Russia, siding with Moscow and North Korea and fueling fears that Trump is embracing Russia's talking points on the war.
"This peace cannot mean the surrender of Ukraine," Macron told a joint news conference with Trump. "We want a quick deal but not a fragile one."
Macron said Trump had "good reason" to re-engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin but said it was critical for Washington to offer "backup" for any European peacekeeping force.
Both Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who visits the White House on Thursday, have offered to what the French president called "peaceful deployments of troops, not for combat" to Ukraine.
Macron added that "after speaking with President Trump, I fully believe there is a path forward."
- 'End within weeks' -
The French president rushed to Washington after Trump sent shock waves around the world when he declared his readiness to resume diplomacy with Russia and hold talks to end the Ukraine war without Kyiv.
Trump's recent embrace of Russia has sparked fears not only that it could spell the end of US support for Kyiv, but for the rest of Europe too.
The US president said he was confident of bringing an end to the war following his talks with Putin.
"I think we could end it within weeks -- if we're smart. If we're not smart, it will keep going," Trump said earlier in the Oval Office with Macron.
Trump added that Putin was ready to "accept" European troops deployed in Ukraine as guarantors of a deal to end fighting.
Since his ice-breaking call with Trump less than two weeks ago, Putin has been seen Washington apparently back a series of its positions on the war.
Moscow is particularly keen to get rid of Western sanctions imposed after the February 24, 2022 invasion.
Putin said Monday that US and Russian companies were "in touch" on joint economic projects -- including strategic minerals in occupied Ukraine.
He added in an interview with state television that Zelensky was becoming a "toxic figure" in Ukraine.
Trump has made similar comments recently after Zelensky complained of being frozen out of talks, calling him a "dictator without elections."
- 'Decisive break' -
Trump and Putin are eyeing a possible meeting in coming weeks in Saudi Arabia.
Zelensky, who has said he would step down in exchange for peace with a guarantee that Ukraine could join NATO, called on Monday for a "real, lasting peace" this year.
Putin's decision to launch the invasion in February 2022 set off the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and Ukrainian civilians.
Trump has however accused Ukraine of starting the war, as he rapidly moves to abandon predecessor Joe Biden's support for Kyiv.
The Republican spelled it out on Monday, saying he was making a "decisive break" with traditional US foreign policy which he called "very foolish."
With Europe in panic, Macron has tried to coordinate a European response to Washington's sudden policy shift.
Macron is representing the European Union as a whole during his visit, after meeting leaders across the continent, including Moscow-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the presidential advisor said.
Macron and Starmer, who will visit Trump on Thursday, coordinated on messaging prior to the French president's departure for the United States this weekend.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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