Macron to Urge Trump Against Appearing Weak to Putin in Washington Meeting
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with Donald Trump in Washington, marking their first one-on-one discussion since Trump returned to the White House.
During a social media Q&A, Macron stated that he would warn Trump about the risks of appearing weak in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His remarks follow the U.S.’s first direct talks with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Macron is also expected to present European proposals for achieving peace in Ukraine—an issue on which Trump has accused him of inaction.
The meeting coincides with the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, as European leaders visit Kyiv to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine.
A Warning on Global Perception
On Thursday, Macron addressed concerns over how Trump’s handling of Putin might be perceived by other world leaders.
“It’s not about you personally, it’s about credibility,” Macron said. “If you’re weak with Putin, how can you be taken seriously by China?”
He plans to emphasize the alignment of U.S. and European interests, warning that allowing Russia to take over Ukraine would make Moscow “unstoppable.” Any peace deal, he insists, must involve both Ukraine and European allies.
Macron’s Strategic Appeal to Trump
Macron’s approach is a calculated one, according to Sebastien Maillard of the Chatham House think tank. He aims to appeal to Trump’s desire to be seen as a strong leader who can swiftly secure a peace deal.
“Macron is using an emotional appeal rather than pure logic,” Maillard explained. “His strategy is to show Trump that if he goes easy on Putin, he won’t be the strongman he wants to be—he’ll look weak, not just to Russia, but also to China, Iran, and other adversaries.”
Europe’s ‘Last-Chance’ Effort
Beyond cautioning Trump, Macron’s visit serves as both a fact-finding mission and an attempt to buy time for Europe, Maillard noted.
“This is a last-chance mission because Europe fears that Trump will rush into a deal that could be poorly handled,” he said.
There is growing international concern over what Maillard called the emerging “Putin-Trump axis,” and Macron wants clarity on NATO’s future to avoid being caught off guard by Trump’s next move.
According to an advisor to the French president, Macron also intends to present “proposals for action that reflect emerging common ground” in U.S.-European discussions, as reported by AFP.
Shifting U.S. Policy on Russia
Macron’s visit comes amid a significant shift in Washington’s approach to Russia. Within weeks of retaking office, Trump reopened direct talks with Putin, sent a U.S. delegation to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, and initiated negotiations to end the war.
A key development from those talks was Russia’s firm rejection of any NATO peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, a proposal raised just a day earlier at a hastily arranged meeting of European NATO members in Paris.
A Unified European Front
Macron’s meeting with Trump precedes a visit from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is also set to meet the U.S. president on Thursday.
Like Macron, Starmer has faced Trump’s criticism over his response to the war. After Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator,” Starmer pushed back, emphasizing that Zelensky is “his country’s democratically elected leader.”
Both Macron and Starmer will likely work to present a united European stance, aiming to ensure Trump does not make unilateral decisions on Ukraine and European security without consulting key allies.
