French President Emmanuel Macron has risked igniting a major diplomatic dispute with Washington after alleging the United States under Donald Trump could "betray" Ukraine during peace negotiations. The incendiary comments were made during a confidential conference call with other European leaders, a transcript of which was obtained and published by Germany's Der Spiegel newspaper.
Leaked Call Exposes Transatlantic Rift
According to the leaked transcript from the call held on Monday 4 December 2025, President Macron told allies that the Trump administration might attempt to pressure Ukraine into surrendering territory as part of a peace deal. He specifically warned there was a risk this could happen "without clarity on security guarantees" for Kyiv.
The call included high-profile figures such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Poland, Italy, Finland, Denmark, and Norway, alongside top EU officials. The leak comes amid intense US-led efforts to broker an end to the nearly four-year conflict, efforts which have exposed a significant gulf between European and American strategies.
European Leaders Voice Unified Concern
Macron was not alone in his critical assessment. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz advised that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needed to be "extremely careful" in the coming days. In an apparent reference to Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Merz stated, "They are playing games, both with you and with us."
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who maintains good relations with Trump, emphasised the need for unity, saying, "We must not leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys." NATO's Mark Rutte agreed, adding, "I agree with Alexander – we must protect Volodymyr."
The discussions took place just a day before Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Moscow for a five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday 5 December. While Putin described the talks as "necessary" and "useful," he also labelled them "difficult work," with the Kremlin rejecting some US proposals.
Frozen Assets and Future Negotiations
During the call, Chancellor Merz also addressed the contentious issue of frozen Russian assets, insisting that the decision on their use must remain a European matter. This preceded a European Commission proposal on Wednesday to use €90 billion (£79bn) of these frozen funds to support Ukraine's war effort—a move former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned would be "tantamount to a casus belli."
European leaders on the call had hoped to arrange a meeting with the US envoys, with Merz offering to request Trump send Witkoff to Brussels. However, Witkoff flew directly back to the US from Moscow on Wednesday, bypassing European capitals. Further talks are scheduled between Witkoff, Kushner, and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov in Miami on Thursday.
The leaked conversation lays bare the profound anxiety in European capitals regarding the direction of US diplomacy under President Trump, highlighting fears that American pressure for a swift deal could come at Ukraine's ultimate expense.
