The video conference was convened by António Costa, the president of the European Council, in anticipation of an emergency summit on 6 March. View on euronews

French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Washington seeking to convince President Trump to stand by Europe’s side in his talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine.

Europe has scrambled for a unified response since Trump two weeks ago declared his readiness to negotiate with Russia – and without European involvement – on ending the three-year-old Ukraine war.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to inform European Union leaders about his recent talks with US President Donald Trump via video conference on Wednesday. The conference is mainly intended to prepare for the special EU summit on Thursday next week.

French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to the United States, advised his American counterpart, Donald Trump, not to start a trade war with Europe. Instead, he urged him to focus on China,

Come on, you can’t wage a trade war against both China and Europe at the same time. I hope I convinced him,” Macron said. He emphasized that the U.S. should prioritize imposing tariffs on China, warning that simultaneously worsening trade relations with Europe could be against Washington’s interests.