Trump says Starmer and Macron ‘haven’t done anything’ to end Ukraine war

Trump, Macron and Zelensky met in Paris in December

US President Donald Trump has said French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “haven’t done anything” to end the war in Ukraine, ahead of their visits to the White House next week.

Trump also said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had “no cards” in peace negotiations, adding: “I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings.”

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK, France and other allies have been supplying Kyiv with weapons and other aid.

On Monday, European leaders held a hastily-arranged summit in Paris – a day before US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, and amid fears that Ukraine and Europe could be excluded from peace negotiations.

Despite his criticism of Macron and Sir Keir, Trump also praised the European leaders in his interview with Fox News. He said that he considered Macron to be a “friend”, and called the British prime minister a “very nice guy”.

Macron is expected to visit Washington on Monday, while Sir Keir will be there on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the British prime minister said he was “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.

The BBC has contacted the PM’s office for comment.

While European leaders have ruled out negotiating with Russia, they have met regularly to discuss the war in Ukraine.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US, UK and EU – along with other countries including Australia, Canada and Japan – have imposed more than 20,000 sanctions on Russia.

Many European nations have also signed agreements to support and provide aid to Ukraine.

In January, Sir Keir signed a “landmark” pact, telling Zelensky: “We are with you not just today, for this year or the next – but for 100 years – long after this terrible war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again.”

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, said he had had “extensive and positive” discussions with Zelensky during their meeting in Kyiv on Thursday.

Kellogg praised Zelensky as a “courageous leader” – only days after Trump referred to him as a “dictator”.

In recent days, Zelensky has held phone calls with various global leaders, who have expressed their commitment to ensuring Ukraine is involved in peace talks.

Trump said on Friday that Russia and Ukraine would not want to begin peace talks without his own personal involvement.

He also continued to criticise Zelensky, saying: “I’ve been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated.

“I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it. You just get sick of it, and I’ve had it.”