White House Reacts After Macron Says Trump Could Be 'Again Played' by Putin

 

Why is Emmanuel Macron warning Trump about Putin and Ukraine?

French President Emmanuel Macron has raised concerns that Vladimir Putin may be “playing” U.S. President Donald Trump if the Russian leader does not agree to peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky by the Monday deadline Trump set.

Speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Macron said:

“If that doesn’t happen by Monday, it means President Putin has once again played President Trump.”

The remarks come as the White House faces questions about Trump’s handling of Russia’s war. Asked if Macron’s warning was valid, Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller dismissed it as “absurd,” pointing to Trump’s record of “seven peace deals in seven months” and noting that he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

While Trump has previously accused Putin of “talking nice and then bombing everybody,” he has also criticized Ukraine for striking Russian oil refineries. This mixed approach has led to criticism that his administration is not responding strongly to Russian attacks, including a major strike last week that killed at least 23 civilians in Ukraine.

Zelensky reminded reporters that Trump had promised to give Putin “one to two weeks” to agree to talks before considering new action against Moscow. That deadline expires Monday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, met Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in New York to discuss preparations for possible meetings involving U.S., European, and Ukrainian leaders at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. Yermak stressed that Russia has shown little willingness to engage, despite Putin’s earlier summit with Trump in Alaska.

For its part, the Kremlin says Putin remains open to negotiations but insists that “any high-level meeting must be properly prepared at the expert level,” according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Why does Russia want Ukraine?

Putin has claimed Ukraine is a “Nazi state” that must be “demilitarized and denazified.”

He has repeatedly said Ukraine and Russia are “one nation,” a view critics argue is tied to his desire to rebuild the Russian empire.

Ukraine’s strategic position and vast natural resources are also key motivations.

When did Russia invade Ukraine?

The full-scale war began on February 24, 2022.

The conflict traces back further to 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.

Putin is scheduled to attend a summit in China this weekend alongside leaders from Iran and North Korea, countries that have supported Russia’s war efforts. From September 9, global attention will turn to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the war in Ukraine will again dominate discussions.