Watch Live: Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron hold press conference at the White House

Washington — President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who is the first European leader to visit with the president at the White House since Mr. Trump’s return to office last month, are holding a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Mr. Trump and Macron, who have a long-standing relationship after both came to office in 2017, held a bilateral meeting and news conference Monday afternoon, after participating in a Group of Seven leadership call earlier in the day to mark three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“France is America’s oldest ally, our cherished partnership has been a force for freedom, prosperity and peace from the very beginning,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re now working on some very interesting developments, one in particular, as you know, the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

Citing France’s support during the American Revolution and during World War II, Mr. Trump said the purpose of the meeting was to “end another battle,” the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“The horrors of this gruesome and bloody war can scarcely be underestimated,” Mr. Trump said, citing the Russians and Ukrainians who have “needlessly died.” “It’s time to end this bloodletting and restore peace, and I think we’re going to do it.”

Mr. Trump called his meeting with Macron an “important step” toward achieving a permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine. He said it’s in the best interest of the U.S., Ukraine, Russia and Europe more broadly to “stop the killing now and bring the world to peace.” He added that he hopes his legacy will be of a “a peacemaker and a unifier.”

The meeting comes as more than a dozen Western leaders, including European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gathered Monday in Kyiv to show their continued support three years into the war with Russia. Meanwhile, the U.S. has reopened relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sought to negotiate an end to the war, marking a major shift from the Biden administration. Preparations are underway for a meeting between Mr. Trump and Putin, Russia’s deputy foreign minister told state media on Saturday. 

Mr. Trump has also escalated a public feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days, calling Zelenskyy a “dictator.” And Mr. Trump has argued that Ukraine should give something to the U.S. in return for the American aid the country has received, pointing to U.S. interest in Ukraine’s rare minerals.

Over the weekend, Zelenskyy said he would be willing to step down in exchange for Ukraine’s entrance into NATO military alliance. 

In a post on Truth Social after the G7 meeting, Mr. Trump said everyone “expressed their goal of seeing the War end,” while claiming that it would never have started had he been in office. The president also said he expressed the importance of a rare minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine in the meeting, adding that he hopes the deal will be signed “very soon.” He also said he is engaged in “serious discussions” with Putin “concerning the ending of the War, and also major Economic Development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia.”

The war between Russia and Ukraine was expected to dominate the meeting between the U.S. and French presidents on Monday, as Macron and Mr. Trump’s views on the conflict appear to diverge. Though Macron has expressed a shared goal of ending the war, he has stressed his support for Ukraine and its interests being represented — along with strengthening European security more broadly amid the worst military conflict on the continent since World War II. 

Mr. Trump called Macron a “very special man” during the bilateral meeting, noting that they talked about various trade deals between the U.S. and France earlier in the day.

Macron made clear the shared objective of peace, while praising the “bravery and resistance of the Ukrainian people.” The French president also touted the friendship between the U.S. and France, along with his personal friendship with Mr. Trump, while noting that this is a “very important moment for Europe.” Macron said European leaders are willing to be a “stronger partner” and do more on defense and security within the continent. 

Mr. Trump is also set to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House later this week.