Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump issues warning to Europe as Macron confirms 26 countries have pledged troops
US president Donald Trump has urged European leaders to cease buying Russian oil, which he argued is helping Moscow fund its war in Ukraine.
He also emphasised that Europe “must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts”, a White House official said.
Trump made the remarks during a call with the “Coalition of the Willing”, a group of 30 European nations led by French president Emmanuel Macron, which gathered in Paris yesterday to discuss further security guarantees for Ukraine.
Following the meeting, which was attended by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron said that 26 countries – including the UK and France – have pledged to deploy troops in Ukraine as a “reassurance force” in the event of a ceasefire.
Despite Zelensky expressing willingness to talk, a ceasefire agreement is not currently on the table, and it remains unclear whether Russian president Vladimir Putin will agree to a cessation of hostilities. He said on Wednesday that in the absence of a deal, Russia will have to achieve its goals “by military means”.
