US President-elect Donald Trump said during a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron on December 7 that Europe would have to bear the brunt of the burden of supporting Ukraine and the future ceasefire in the country. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal , citing its sources, UNN reports.
Details
According to the WSJ, at a meeting in Paris on December 7, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron that he does not support Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but wants a strong, well-armed Ukraine to emerge after any cessation of hostilities.
Trump said that Europe should play a major role in protecting and supporting Ukraine and that he would like to see European troops present in Ukraine to monitor the ceasefire, according to officials. He did not rule out the possibility that the United States would support the agreement, although no U.S. troops would be involved, the officials said.
According to a person with knowledge of the meeting, Trump also urged the Europeans to do more to pressure China to end the conflict, according to the person. They discussed using tariffs on China as a bargaining chip if Beijing does not agree to do so.
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Trump has long said he wants to end the three-year war as soon as possible, but has said little in public about how he plans to do so, the WSJ reports. European officials say that in conversations after the election, the president-elect has mostly asked questions and sought opinions on the war, and that they do not believe he has a clear plan of action.
Trump's entourage told The Wall Street Journal that he does not yet have a specific plan for Ukraine, and is not thinking about the issue as he prepares to take office. Members of his transition team and close confidants are developing proposals for him. Key decisions will be made after his national security team is formed and Trump holds additional talks with allies and possibly with Putin himself.
Recall
Macron proposed to deploy foreign troops on the territory of Ukraine before it joins NATO.
Experts explainedthat such ideas exist, but their implementation remains uncertain. Various formats are being considered, from police missions to combat-ready contingents.
