On February 24, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that a truce between Ukraine and Russia might be reached “in the coming weeks,” but cautioned that peace does not imply Ukraine’s “surrender.” Macron gave an interview to Fox News after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Trump stated earlier in the Oval Office that the war could be over soon. “If we’re smart, I believe we can finish it in a few weeks. “If we are not smart, it will continue,” Trump remarked after welcome Macron to the White House. Macron said he has spoken with European leaders, and many of them are willing to provide security guarantees,a key demand of Ukraine in any peace deal.

Both Macron and Trump stated that progress had been made on the notion of sending troops to Ukraine, however Macron demanded that the United States join Europe in the vow, stating that Washington must provide “backup” for any European peacekeeping force.

Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to “accept” European troops stationed in Ukraine as guarantors of an agreement to cease the bloodshed. “I specifically asked him that question.” When asked about Putin’s stance on the issue, Trump replied, “He has no problem with it.” The French leader stated that any European military dispatched to Ukraine would be there to “maintain peace” and would not be stationed on the front lines or become involved in the fighting. Macron said he will work with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is due to visit the White House on February 27, to develop a proposal to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine if a deal is reached.

“After speaking with President Trump, I fully believe there is a path forward,” Mr. Macron added. Macron told reporters that the war had cost a lot of money and was “the responsibility of Russia because the aggressor is Russia.” The comments contrasted with Trump’s comment last week, in which he said Ukraine began the war. Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would visit the White House in the next two weeks to sign an agreement allowing Washington access to Ukraine’s rare minerals. In answer to a reporter’s question, the American president refrained to name Putin a dictator, despite having used the term to describe Zelenskyy last week.

Zelenskyy, who has stated that he will resign in exchange for peace and the assurance that Ukraine will be able to join NATO, called for “real, lasting peace” this year on February 24th. On February 24, Putin indicated a shift in his approach, saying in an interview with state television that European countries can “participate” in discussions to end the war in Ukraine. He also stated that US and Russian corporations were “in touch” regarding collaborative economic projects, including key minerals in occupied Ukraine. Trump stated that his team is “constantly” communicating with the Russians, including about prospective US-Russian economic partnerships, indicating a stunning shift in US policy.

“My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the previous administration, and frankly the past,” said Trump, who has demanded that Ukraine repay the United States for billions of dollars in aid. The Biden administration’s objective was to isolate Russia politically and economically, cutting off communication and applying broad sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.