Macron walks tightrope with Trump as he makes Europe's case on Ukraine

As the first European leader to visit Trump since his inauguration, Macron navigated potentially testing talks.

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He did that by praising, flattering and gently cajoling the US president as they took questions in the Oval Office and held a joint news conference. This is a playbook that many leaders around the world now see as more productive than outright plain speaking or criticism of Trump.

Macron managed to navigate what could have been a tricky day in Washington without conceding or revealing too much.

He spoke of both countries wanting peace, and while he gently corrected one of Trump's claims on Europe's support for Ukraine, he also agreed that Europe needed to take more responsibility for its own security.

But Macron did make one important concession – that Trump was right to re-establish some kind of relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg592557vgo

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