US President Donald Trump said he was nearing a security deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that could end the war in Ukraine “within weeks” during press conferences with French President Emmanual Macron in Washington on Monday.
“We are close to getting it solved,” Trump said about the peace negotiations at a press conference after the leaders met.
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“My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the past administration,” he said later.
When asked if he would call Russian leader Vladimir Putin a “dictator” in the same way he had called last week the Ukrainian president a dictator for not holding elections, Trump said, “I don’t use that term lightly.”
Trump said that Putin was open to allowing foreign troops in Ukraine as part of a peace deal.
“Yeah, he will accept that,” he said about Putin’s acceptance of a peacekeeping force. “I specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it.”
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Trump also said that NATO is key to peace talks and maintaining European security.
“NATO is very much involved in this,” he added, before complaining about European nations not contributing enough.
In the past, Trump has complained about France not pulling its weight in the alliance. Macron sat quietly beside Trump while he made these comments.
Trump claimed the war could be over within weeks.
“We could end it within weeks, he said, turning to Macron for confirmation. “If we are smart. If we are not smart, it will keep going and we’ll keep losing young, beautiful people that shouldn’t be dying.”
“Remember what I said,” he added. “This could escalate into a third World War, and we don’t want that either.”
Trump also said that Ukraine might be able to regain “some” of its lost territories, though it would be “difficult” – a change in course from his recent remarks.
Trump said the United States is “very close” to a minerals deal with Ukraine and that he might meet Zelensky in the near future to sign the deal.
“He may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice,” Trump said. He also said he would be meeting Putin soon.
The French president made sure to point out that Russia is the sole aggressor in this war.
“President Putin violated the peace,” Macron said.
Macron also said that the proceeds from frozen Russian assets should be part of peace negotiations. “This war cost all of us a lot of money.”
He emphasized that Russia began the war and was responsible for paying the damages caused by its forces. “This is the responsibility of Russia – because the aggressor is Russia,” Macron said.
The French president clarified that Ukraine deserved the bulk of the financial profits from the assets.
“I support the idea first of Ukraine being compensated because they are the ones to have lost a lot of their fellow citizens and have been destroyed by these attacks,” Macron said. “By Russia, because they are the ones attacking.”
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