Macron: Trump's Peace Plan for Ukraine Needs Improvements

French President Emmanuel Macron told «RTL» radio on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine "is heading in the right direction: towards peace," but it "needs improvements" to be acceptable to both Kyiv and Europe.

1. Macron's Reservations on the US Plan

• Surrender Concerns: Macron stressed that Europe wants peace but "does not want a peace that amounts to a real surrender."

• Controversial Aspects: He noted that certain aspects of the plan deserve "discussion, negotiation, and improvement."

• Ukrainian Sovereignty: He insisted that Ukrainians alone have the final say on whether they are willing to concede territory.

• Military Limits and Frozen Assets:

  • The US plan calls for setting limits on the size of the Ukrainian military, which Macron rejected, stating that Ukraine's first line of defense after peace must be the renewal of its army without restrictions.

  • The plan grants the US some control over frozen Russian assets, but Macron clarified that these assets are located in Europe, and Europe alone decides how to deal with them.

2. Anticipated Diplomatic Developments

• Potential Zelensky Visit: Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, said President Volodymyr Zelensky may visit the US in the next few days "to finalize an agreement" with President Trump.

• Visit Goal: Umerov looks forward to organizing the visit "at the earliest convenient time in November to complete the final steps and conclude an agreement" with Trump.

• Proposal Background: The 28-point proposal surprised many and raised concerns that the Trump administration might pressure Ukraine into signing a deal strongly favoring Russia.