Emmanuel Macron fact-checked Donald Trump over the aid the US has sent to Ukraine yesterday during a joint press conference.
It comes as Europe grapples with the White House’s decision to side with Russia in its push to end the conflict, which breaks with the west’s united backing for Kyiv.
The US has shocked its western allies by blaming Ukraine for Russia’s invasion and hinting that Kyiv may have to cede land to Vladimir Putin in exchange for peace.
Then, on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, during a day of talks with Macron, the US president told a press conference that the US had provided most of the aid – around $350bn – to Kyiv.
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But his French counterpart quickly put a hand on Trump’s arm to cut in and correct him.
Macron pointed out Europe had actually contributed 60% of all aid to Ukraine so far.
Trump said to reporters: “Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine, so they get their money back.”
Macron interrupted: “No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort. Like the US, loans, guarantees, grants, and we provided real money.”
He added: “If at the end of the negotiation, they are ready to give it to us, super, it will loan at the end of the day, and we will have paid for that.”
Trump then spoke directly to the media and said: “If you believe that, it’s OK with me. But they get their money back and we don’t.”
The US president has proposed Ukraine’s settles its debts with the States by signing a revenue-sharing agreeing on Ukrainian minerals – a plan which Kyiv has rejected.
Notable moment in the Oval Office where Trump says “Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine” and “they’re getting their money back” when Macron interrupted to say, “No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort.” pic.twitter.com/QFzv9WhsIz
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 24, 2025
But Macron contradicted Trump by pointing out the US should be compensated by Russia not Ukraine, because Moscow is “the aggressor”.
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Trump also refused to call Putin a dictator during the press conference – despite calling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy one last week – but Macron said: “President Putin violated the peace.”
Trump said he wanted a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible, and that he could go to Moscow to meet Putin once an agreement was reached.
However, Macron suggested a truce and then a peace deal with security guarantees.
He said: ’We want peace, he wants peace. We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak.”
Trump refused to say if Ukraine might have to cede occupied territory to Russia, too, but Macron made it clear that any peace deal should include sovereignty for Kyiv.
Both leaders did suggest a peace deal could be done within a few weeks and agreed that European peacekeeping forces could be a possibility.
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Trump said he asked Putin if that would be acceptable, and the Russian leader allegedly “has no problem with it.”
Macron’s attitude towards the new US president left some people calling for UK PM Keir Starmer to behave in the same way later this week, when he travels to Washington DC for his own meeting with Trump.
“Starmer needs to be robust in correcting [Trump’s] inaccuracies.”
Humza Yousaf, former First Minister of Scotland, says Sir Keir Starmer should look at President Macron’s “performance” with President Trump.#Newsnightpic.twitter.com/S0J4C2W4dl
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) February 24, 2025
Macron standing up to Trump to his face is exactly what should be happening. Let’s see how Starmer gets on.
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) February 24, 2025
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