The Wall Street Journal reported the content of the discussions during the meeting between Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris last Saturday. The American president-elect notably spoke out against Ukraine’s membership in NATO, while calling on European countries to take the main responsibility for supporting kyiv.
According to the daily, Trump is considering increased European engagement, including the deployment of troops to oversee a possible ceasefire. If the United States could participate in coordination, the president-elect categorically excludes sending American soldiers on the ground.
A different diplomatic approach is also emerging, with Trump urging Europeans to pressure China to use its influence with Moscow. Although opposed to the use of American missiles against Russia authorized by Biden, some of his advisers see it as potential negotiating leverage with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues on the ground. Zelensky announced this morning the interception of 81 out of 93 Russian missiles and around 200 Iranian drones by Ukrainian F-16s. These attacks, among the largest since the start of the war, mainly targeted the country’s energy infrastructure.
The Biden administration, for its part, is accelerating its arms deliveries to Ukraine before the transition. The Pentagon is preparing a “historic effort” to transfer arms over the next five weeks, after Antony Blinken’s announcement of new military aid of $500 million.
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