Macron interrupts, shuts down Trump over 'misleading' Ukraine claims
What's the story
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly corrected former United States President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Tuesday. The incident occurred when Trump made misleading statements about European financial aid to Ukraine, implying European nations were just loaning money to Ukraine with expectations of repayment. Grabbing Trump's arm, Macron quickly interjected, saying, "No, in fact, to be frank, we paid," clarifying Europe contributed 60% of the total effort through loans, guarantees, and grants.
Twitter Post
Watch the video here
🚨BREAKING: In an incredible moment in front of the world, President Macron brutally interrupted a Trump lie, fearlessly fact checking him in real time.
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) February 24, 2025
Watch Trump's embarrassed expression.
This is how it's done. pic.twitter.com/sj8JUc3zMa
Disputed assertions
Trump's claims on Ukraine conflict and repayment challenged
"We have $230 billion in frozen assets in Europe, Russian assets. But this is not collateral of a loan because it is not our belonging," Macron stated. The meeting also saw Trump revealing that Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeeping troops as part of a potential peace deal. However, it's unclear where the troops would be stationed in Ukraine. Trump further insisted on Ukraine signing over mineral rights to repay military aid, saying the US had invested significantly without returns.
Advocacy
Macron refutes Trump's claim, advocates for Ukraine support
"It was a lot of money and we had nothing to show for it," Trump said. Trump also said Zelenskyy "may come" to Washington this week or next as the two countries are "very close" to signing a deal on rare earth minerals. "We'd meet at the Oval Office....They're very close to a final deal," the US president said. During the talks, Trump showed interest in economic development deals with Russia, even as sanctions remain in place.
Economic interests
Trump expresses interest in economic deals with Russia
"They have a lot of things that we want...I don't know if that will come to fruition, but we'd love to be able to do that, if we could," Trump said, noting that Russia and Ukraine have massive reserves of rare-earth minerals. Inside the Oval Office, the two presidents shook hands multiple times, once seizing each other's mitts in a "thumb war." The Macron-Trump meeting comes after the US voted against a United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine.