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Macron Warns U.S. Could 'Betray' Ukraine Over Territorial Concessions, Spiegel Transcript Shows

Der Spiegel published a transcript of a confidential call in which President Emmanuel Macron warned the U.S. might pressure Ukraine to give up territory without firm security guarantees. Chancellor Friedrich Merz told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that U.S. negotiators were “playing games” and urged caution. The Élysée disputed Spiegel’s exact wording while France’s foreign ministry declined to comment on alleged leaks but reaffirmed support for Ukraine. The report comes as U.S. envoys met Vladimir Putin and President Trump said talks were “reasonably good” but that next steps are unclear.

12:04 AM, 12/05/2025Conflict
Macron Warns U.S. Could 'Betray' Ukraine Over Territorial Concessions, Spiegel Transcript Shows

European Leaders Voice Concern Over U.S. Negotiating Position

German magazine Der Spiegel published what it said was a transcript of a confidential phone call in which French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the United States might press Ukraine to cede territory to Russia without securing clear guarantees to prevent future aggression.

“There is a chance that the U.S. will betray Ukraine on territory without clarity on security guarantees,” Macron is quoted as saying.

According to Spiegel, the call — which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and several European leaders — also captured Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz advising Zelenskiy that U.S. negotiators were “playing games” and urging him to be “very careful” in the coming days.

Official Responses

German officials declined to comment on the report. The Élysée Palace told Spiegel that the president “did not express himself in these words.” At a briefing, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said he would not comment on alleged leaks and stressed that there was no doubt about France’s support for Ukraine and the intensity of its exchanges with the American side.

Context: Envoys, Kremlin Meeting And U.S. Reaction

Spiegel said the conversation took place on Monday as European leaders rallied in support of Zelenskiy after U.S.-Ukrainian talks to revise a peace proposal that had initially favored Russia. Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin received U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump described the envoys’ talks with Putin as “reasonably good” but said the path forward for negotiations remained unclear.

Reporting

Reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin and Gabriel Stargardter and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; writing by Ludwig Burger; editing by Kirsti Knolle and Philippa Fletcher.

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