Donald Trump held his first telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the Wall Street Journal, Macron insisted on the need to continue military operations in Ukraine and expressed France's position that Russia should make concessions if peace talks begin. At the same time, France's annual military aid to Ukraine amounts to about 2 billion euros, which is almost 10 times less than the amount of support provided by the United States.

According to sources, Macron expressed confidence that pressure on Russia should be maintained despite growing demands for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. However, Trump, who has stuck to his peace rhetoric, did not give the French leader specific promises on whether Washington would support the continuation of the conflict or seek diplomatic solutions.

The Trump-Macron talks highlight differences among Western leaders over future strategy toward Ukraine, especially as the U.S. administration changes and NATO debates over foreign policy priorities.