Trump Holds Call With Macron, Starmer and Merz as U.S.-Led Ukraine Peace Push Continues

President Donald Trump held a conference call on Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss ongoing efforts to secure a peace settlement in Ukraine, a White House official said. The call comes as Trump continues to press for an end to the nearly four-year conflict while publicly questioning Kyiv’s prospects.

Downing Street said the leaders “discussed the latest on the ongoing U.S.-led peace talks, welcoming their efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, and to see an end to the killing.” The statement added that intensive work on the peace plan is continuing and will proceed in the coming days.

The phone discussion followed an exclusive interview in which Trump again expressed doubt about Ukraine’s ability to prevail in its war with Russia. Since returning to the White House, the president has shifted his public positions on Ukraine multiple times — at one point in February appearing to tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he didn’t “have the cards,” and later at times calling for Ukraine to recover all its territory “in its original form.”

In recent weeks, Trump has advocated a peace proposal that would see Ukraine cede control of much of the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for unspecified U.S. security guarantees. That change in tone from the White House, and the pressure applied to Kyiv to accept a deal, has frustrated Ukrainian officials and many Western allies.

Asked about Kyiv’s position, Trump told POLITICO’s Dasha Burns: “He’s gonna have to get on the ball and start, uh, accepting things. You know, when you’re losing, ’cause he’s losing.”

In the same interview the president criticized European governments broadly, calling Europe “decaying” and accusing leaders of being too politically correct and uncertain about how to respond to the conflict.

Despite sharp rhetoric, senior British politician Yvette Cooper told POLITICO she believes the U.S. can still play an important role in seeking a resolution. She highlighted the significance of American engagement and singled out Senator Marco Rubio’s involvement in the discussions as “hugely important.”

What Comes Next

Officials said diplomatic work on the U.S.-led peace plan will continue in the coming days. Observers note that any proposal that requires Kyiv to cede territory will face intense scrutiny in Kyiv and among NATO partners, complicating prospects for a quick settlement.