French President Emmanuel Macron did not receive any specific security guarantees from the United States regarding a plan to deploy European peacekeepers to monitor a future ceasefire in Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Feb. 25.
Macron visited U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Feb. 24 to discuss Ukraine's postwar security options in the event of a peace deal with Russia. Trump claimed that such a deal could come "within weeks."
While Macron spoke optimistically about his meeting with Trump, calling it "a turning point" in U.S. support for European peacekeeping efforts, officials told the FT that Washington offered no specific guarantees.
There is "no definitive agreement" as to how the U.S. will provide security assurances for peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, a French official said.
Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will meet with Trump later this week, are coordinating on a proposal for Ukraine's postwar security that involves a European peacekeeping force that would rely heavily on air power and be backed by the U.S. The plan would reportedly include a small land force of 30,000 European troops.
Starmer has said that this plan requires a U.S. "backstop" to deter future Russian aggression.
Following their meeting on Feb. 24, both Macron and Trump signaled openness to U.S. support for the European peacekeeping proposal.
"There are Europeans that are ready to engage to provide for these security guarantees," Macron said.
"Now there's a clear American message that the U.S. as an ally is ready to provide that solidarity for that approach."
When asked if the U.S. would support European troops, Trump said that it would, without getting into details.
"We will have a backing of some kind. Obviously European countries are going to be involved," he said.
Trump then said that Europe would not likely "need much backing" because he did not expect Russia to violate a ceasefire agreement. Trump also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept the presence of European troops in Ukraine, a term the Kremlin has repeatedly opposed.
The French official who spoke to the FT said that despite the lack of concrete security guarantees on the table at this stage, Trump appeared open to the idea of a U.S. backstop.
"There is no objection from President Trump to the Americans giving security guarantees," the official said.
Natalia Yermak
(Updated: )
