The American president said he would be “signing an agreement” to retrieve some $500 billion in American funding, apparently referring to a proposed deal for Ukrainian rare earths and other minerals.
Earlier this week, some EU leaders gathered in Paris for emergency talks about the war in Ukraine and European security, after Trump spoke with Putin by phone about setting up peace talks in Saudi Arabia.
In the Fox interview, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “no cards” in peace negotiations. Friday’s comments come after Trump recently called Zelenskyy “a dictator” and has said Kyiv should call new elections as soon as possible.
Macron is expected to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday, while Starmer’s visit to the White House is scheduled for Thursday.
Amid the criticism, Trump also said he considered Macron as a “friend” and called Starmer a “very nice guy.”
