The White House National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, announced on Wednesday that French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington this week. During his visit, President Donald Trump is also expected to receive British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with negotiations about the end of the war in Ukraine serving as a backdrop.
“We are committing ourselves on all sides,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News. The official residence of the British Prime Minister, Downing Street, had reported on Monday that Starmer would be making the trip, but until now, Macron’s visit had not been announced. As Waltz put it, “Macron and Starmer will come to Washington next week.”
This development comes on the heels of an informal meeting organized by Macron in Paris, which took place on Wednesday to discuss the future of the Ukraine War. The meeting saw the participation of the presidents of Romania and Luxembourg in person, as well as leaders from 18 other countries, including Canada, who joined via video conference.
Earlier today, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to address his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, warning him that if he doesn’t act “fast,” his country could disappear. This stark warning follows Trump’s comments from the day before, in which he blamed Ukraine for initiating the war with Russia and ridiculed Zelensky as an “extremely incompetent” negotiator.
Waltz emphasized that not everyone has received the message that the era of endless war, which costs hundreds of billions and claims hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives, is over. He underscored that Trump intends to end this war, stating, “We have been asking for years for Europe to take a step forward and contribute more, not only to its own defense but to the defense of Ukraine. All of this is happening now, and it’s because Trump is driving it very quickly.”
The advisor expressed satisfaction with Europe’s intervention and offer of security guarantees, saying, “We see the type of help that Europeans are providing is often in the form of loans, which will be repaid with interest from seized Russian assets. We believe that the US taxpayer deserves to recover much of their investment.” Waltz also wondered why Zelensky hasn’t tried to end the war for the good of his country and defended the American idea of an advantageous agreement for Washington regarding the natural resources available to Ukraine in exchange for help.
According to Waltz, this presents an opportunity for Ukraine, and they must see it as such. Instead, the US has faced “rhetorical climbing and reprisals,” which the president will not tolerate, Waltz warned. The advisor’s comments reflect the complex and sensitive nature of the negotiations, highlighting the need for a swift and effective resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.