Macron had “frank conversation” with Trump minutes before the EU emergency summit began

Feb 18, 2025 - 00:00
Macron had “frank conversation” with Trump minutes before the EU emergency summit began

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

France’s President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone just several minutes before European leaders gathered to discuss security in Paris.

According to Politico Europe’s reports, the “frank conversation” lasted 20 minutes though there are no details about its content.

The summit is attended by Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, the United Kingdom’s Keir Starmer, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Poland’s Donald Tusk and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. As well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President António Costa, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Their primary goal is to come up with a unified response to the US attempt to commence negotiations with Russia that’ll not include Europe though it has received a questionnaire from the US on what it needs from Washington D.C. to provide security commitments to Ukraine.

Before the meeting, Polish PM Donald Tusk called on Europe to increase its defense spending big time before it’s too late.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!