The White House news spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday that President Trump will meet with the President of France and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the White House next week.
Leavitt stated that Trump will host French President Macron on Monday, February 24, and will meet with visiting British Prime Minister Stamer on Thursday, February 27.
The White House spokesperson also disclosed Trump’s first official cabinet meeting.
“We are proud to announce that the President will hold his first official cabinet meeting at the White House next Wednesday, February 26,” Leavitt said.
So far, Trump has already met with leaders from Israel, Japan, Jordan, and India.
The visits of Macron and Stamer come as Trump is working to mediate a peace agreement in Ukraine. The United States’ European allies are seeking to play a crucial role in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and outline their plans for providing security guarantees to Ukraine after the ceasefire.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Reuters during the Munich Security Conference on February 15 that the U.S. has asked European governments what contributions they can make in terms of Ukraine’s security.
The Financial Times previously reported that the U.S. has requested detailed proposals from its European allies, clarifying what weapons, peacekeeping forces, and security plans they can offer to Ukraine post-war as part of the security guarantees to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Europe is concerned that Trump’s mediation of the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement may be temporary, with Putin possibly launching another war. However, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo has made it clear that the goal of the negotiations is to fairly and permanently end the Ukrainian conflict.
During the U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18, both teams agreed to appoint their high-level teams to work towards ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict as quickly as possible in a sustainable and mutually acceptable manner.