French President Emmanuel Macron stated there was “no distrust” between Europe and the U.S., following reports alleging he had privately warned of possible U.S. abandonment of Ukraine.
“Solidarity between Americans and Europeans on Ukraine is crucial. This must be reiterated—we must collaborate,” Macron told journalists during a trip to China. “We endorse and support U.S. peace initiatives. But American efforts require European leadership.”
German publication *Der Spiegel* cited a leaked account of a private discussion among European leaders on Thursday, in which Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly questioned U.S. attempts to mediate between Ukraine and Russia.
The document quoted Macron cautioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “the U.S. might compromise Ukraine’s territorial integrity, offering unclear security pledges.”
The leak risked provoking Donald Trump, whom European officials have cautiously courted, viewing him as pivotal to diplomacy with Moscow. It emerged as leaders scrambled to secure urgent funding for Ukraine. Merz convened emergency discussions on Friday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
When questioned about the report, Macron stated: “I deny everything.”
*Der Spiegel* claimed it possessed an English summary of Monday’s call, including direct quotes from leaders. In it, Macron reportedly described negotiations as entering a “high-risk phase” for Zelenskyy, while Merz advised “extreme caution.”
Merz allegedly told Zelenskyy that “both sides are manipulating you and us”—a comment seemingly referencing a Moscow visit by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the former president’s son-in-law.
Last month, Washington proposed a 28-point plan to halt Ukraine’s war, drafted without Europe’s input and criticized as aligning closely with Moscow’s demands.
Following talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, Witkoff and Kushner met Vladimir Putin for five hours in the Kremlin on Tuesday. Witkoff later conferred with Ukraine’s security chief, Rustem Umerov, in Miami on Thursday, though no details were disclosed.
Fighting persists as both sides seek leverage: Russian drones killed a 12-year-old in central Ukraine Thursday night, while Ukrainian strikes reportedly hit a Russian port and oil refinery.
Read next
Latvia probes Russian drones that crashed near vacant oil sites.
Morning briefing: Latvia probes drones ‘from Russia’ after nocturnal airspace breaches
Latvia is looking into two unmanned aircraft that crossed its border from Russian soil during the night and came down in the east of the country close to a deserted oil‑storage site.
Four vacant tanks were reported damaged,
Rubio set to meet pope in Vatican following Trump criticism of pontiff
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday to try to calm tensions after Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of the first North American pontiff.
With relations between the Holy See and Washington at an unprecedented low, Rubio is expected to see
Culture contests from Eurovision to Venice Biennale eclipsed by politics
Are the arts being drowned out by politics? A few days before Europe’s biggest cultural week, that impression is hard to shake. The Venice Biennale opens its doors to the public on Saturday, yet the run‑up conversation has centred far more on which national pavilions will be accessible