Trump talks with European leaders as tensions simmer over Ukraine peace deal
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President Trump at an event in Pennsylvania on Dec. 9. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images
President Trump held a call on Wednesday with the leaders of France, the U.K. and Germany to discuss efforts to reach a peace deal in Ukraine, according to a White House official.
Why it matters: The call took place amid growing tensions and distrust between the U.S. and European powers over how to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the Transatlantic relationship in general.
Driving the news: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces growing pressure from the U.S. to swiftly accept Trump's peace plan that includes major territorial losses and other concessions.
- Zelensky met on Monday with the leaders of Germany, France and the U.K. to send a united message to the Trump administration that its current peace plan is not acceptable.
- Trump harshly criticized European leaders in an interview with Politico published on Tuesday. He called them "weak" and defended his new national security strategy that calls for the U.S. to "cultivate resistance to Europe's current trajectory."
What they're saying: French President Emmanuel Macron said the call lasted 40 minutes and focused on advancing diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
- "The four heads of state and governments discussed the status of talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Intensive work on the peace plan is to continue in the coming days. They agreed that this is a crucial moment for Ukraine and for common security in the Euro-Atlantic area," the German chancellor's office said in a statement.
Zoom out: Zelensky and his team held a virtual meeting on Wednesday with a U.S. team headed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The meeting focused on U.S. proposals for the post-war reconstruction and economic development of Ukraine as part of Trump's peace plan.
- Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated, along with Steve Mnuchin, the investor and former Treasury secretary, and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
- Zelensky wrote on X that he updated the U.S. side about his position regarding the latest draft of Trump's peace plan.
- "It is overall security that will determine economic security and underpin safe business environment," he said.
Go deeper: How Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine shocked the world
