France and Britain are proposing a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine that would cover air, sea and energy infrastructure attacks but not include ground fighting, French President Emmanuel Macron and his foreign minister said.
The comments came amid a flurry of European diplomacy designed to shore up Western support for Ukraine following a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday.
"Such a truce on air, sea and energy infrastructure would allow us to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting in good faith when he commits to a truce. And that's when real peace negotiations could start," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.
Under the Anglo-French proposal, European ground troops would only be deployed to Ukraine in a second phase, Macron said in an interview published in Le Figaro late on Sunday.
"There will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks," Le Figaro quoted Macron as saying as he flew to London for a meeting of European leaders, convened by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to advance efforts at drawing up a Ukraine peace plan.
"The question is how we use this time to try to obtain a truce, with negotiations that will take several weeks and then, once peace is signed, a (troop) deployment," Macron said.
The French president did not elaborate on how air, sea and energy infrastructure could be monitored.
"In my eyes that can only be possible with NATO or at least NATO command and then Patriot systems, long-range missiles and aviation, which Ukraine does not have," said a European diplomat. "And you have to negotiate with Russia so that it doesn't carry out the massive attacks."
The Kremlin, which has rejected the idea of Western troops being deployed to Ukraine, said on Monday the Oval Office clash between Trump and Zelenskyy showed how difficult it would be to reach a settlement on the conflict in Ukraine.
'DIFFERENT OPTIONS'
Zelenskyy, asked if he was aware of the plan mentioned by Macron, told reporters in London: "I'm aware of everything."
On Monday, however, UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard declined to confirm the ideas aired by Macron and Barrot, saying: "That's not a plan that we currently recognise."
"Certainly there are a number of different options being discussed privately between the UK, France and our allies at the moment. It's probably not right for me at the moment to comment on each individual option as they occur," Pollard told the BBC.
Starmer said on Sunday that European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States, without going into details.
Meanwhile, the parties in talks to form Germany's new government are considering quickly setting up two special funds potentially worth hundreds of billions of euros, one for defence and a second for infrastructure, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Economists advising the parties that will likely form a new government coalition estimate around 400 billion euros ($415 billion) are needed for the defence fund, the people said.
Friday's heated White House exchange between Zelenskyy and Trump has increased a sense of urgency in Berlin to act faster on spending for Germany's own defence and for Ukraine, they said.
European Union leaders will meet for an extraordinary summit on March 6 to discuss additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees and how to pay for European defence needs.
Talks in Paris between U.S. officials and European leaders have kickstarted a new diplomatic format aimed at shaping Ukraine's post-war future, with the involvement of Europe’s three most powerful countries.
Two of President Donald Trump's top national security aides plan to hold talks in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday as the United States and Europe search for common ground on ending the Ukraine war and averting an Iran conflict.
Algeria has ordered 12 French embassy officials to leave the country within 48 hours in response to the arrest of three Algerian nationals in France, prompting sharp criticism from the French government.
France has warned it will take swift action if Algeria follows through on threats to expel 12 French diplomats, as tensions between the two countries resurface.
– Leaders from Jordan, Egypt, and France are set to meet in Cairo on Monday for high-level discussions focused on the escalating crisis in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted once more early on Saturday, with ash and lava spewing from the southeastern crater. The eruption, which began late Friday night, continued through midday, local sources reported.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he plans to visit India later this year, following a discussion with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about potential collaboration in technology and innovation.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said of Oman is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday, just days after the commencement of a new round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks mediated by Muscat.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted once more early on Saturday, with ash and lava spewing from the southeastern crater. The eruption, which began late Friday night, continued through midday, local sources reported.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
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