“After today’s discussions, I am convinced that there is a way … to make this solid, lasting peace a reality,” Macron said. “A lot of my European colleagues are ready to be engaged, but we do need this American backing because this is part of the security guarantees.”
Despite their disagreements, the American and French presidents displayed a camaraderie that, at least temporarily, had the potential to quell fears of a rift between the two men over Ukraine policy.
The duo exchanged compliments before answering questions from the press, with Trump saying he had a “very special relationship” with the French president. The U.S. president later shared an anecdote about a dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower that made both leaders laugh.
Some tension, however, broke through — in their body language, over whether Europe’s aid to Ukraine was in fact a loan and whether Kyiv needed to reimburse its benefactors.
After Trump spoke about recouping U.S. aid, Macron delicately asserted that the U.S. was not alone in having backed Ukraine and contradicted Trump on the matter of who should pay reparations.
“This war cost all of us a lot of money. And this is the responsibility of Russia, because the aggressor is Russia,” Macron said. Trump has refused to blame the war on Russia and called the democratically elected a “dictator.”