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French journalists covering Monday’s meeting between Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron pushed to have a Paris-based Associated Press reporter ask the first question at a press conference, defying the White House’s decision to shut the AP out of official events.
Earlier this month, the White House began denying the AP’s access to Trump and other officials at Air Force One, the White House briefing room, and other events because it hasn’t complied with the Trump administration’s unilateral renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, with the AP’s influential stylebook noting the administration’s policies aren’t recognized internationally.
The Trump administration ban prompted the AP to sue Trump officials last week, citing a violation of the First Amendment.
A federal judge on Monday refused to immediately order the White House to restore the wire service’s access, though arguments will continue in the case.
At the press conference, the Associated Press reporter asked both leaders about ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Macron told reporters the peace process could include increased European defense spending and a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
“We have committed to building a lasting peace as Europeans, we have committed to being stakeholders in these security guarantees, and we are also well aware that Europeans need to do more for security in Europe, for defense in Europe,” he said.
Trump, meanwhile, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “no problem” with such a force, and added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could visit the White House as soon as this week to cement a deal giving U.S. access to Ukrainian rare minerals as repayment for defense assistance.
“He may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement … which would be nice, I’d love to meet him,” Trump said.
It was a far cry from last week, when Trump called Zelensky a dictator and falsely accused him of starting the war with Russia, which in fact began with Russia invading in 2022 after a decade of slow-burning support for separatist groups in Ukraine’s eastern territories.
Trump reveals Macron ‘sold him out’ over translation at previous meeting
While Macron was in Washington, he and Trump joined in a call with G7 leaders around ending the war, which Macron said had been “perfect.”
The French leader told The Independent that Trump had been “very friendly, as always,” despite the president not greeting him upon arrival.
U.S. allies in Europe have been alarmed as the Trump administration has attempted to negotiate the end of the war directly with Russia without input from Ukraine, while echoing many of the Kremlin’s key messages about the long-running conflict.
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