Europe and America, at Odds Over Ukraine, Attempt Speaking to Every Different

With diplomacy on the battle in Ukraine splintering in numerous instructions, President Emmanuel Macron of France held conferences Thursday with high American officers that have been designed to protect no less than the looks of a united entrance.

At a working lunch with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy, Mr. Macron mentioned “peace negotiations aimed toward ending the Russian aggression in Ukraine,” a press release from the French presidency stated.

That wording appeared unlikely to please the Trump administration, which has taken a unique view of the battle. It has claimed that Ukraine was accountable for Russia’s invasion, berated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine for being ungrateful, and aligned with the likes of North Korea in rejecting a United Nations decision condemning Russia for its aggression.

Nonetheless, greeting Mr. Rubio and Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Macron stated in English that “this can be a crucial event for convergence.”

Mr. Trump’s shift on Russia and different measures have led to rising tensions between Europe and america over what’s broadly seen as a pointy ideological shift in Mr. Trump’s America, away from help of Western democracies and towards a sympathetic view of authoritarian regimes. But, regardless of pursuing a separate line of diplomacy, no less than till as we speak, the Trump administration appears to need some assist from Europe in ending the preventing in Ukraine.

A later French presidential assertion stated the assembly “illustrated the common dialogue between France and america on main worldwide points as a way to safe stability and protect multilateral cooperation.” It provided scant particulars on Ukraine.