Washington: US President Donald Trump expressed his belief on Monday that the war in Ukraine could end soon, perhaps within weeks. Trump confirmed in statements to reporters at the White House following a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the G7 leaders agree on the need to end the war in Ukraine, noting that European forces can go to Ukraine as peacekeeping forces.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Trump explained that in this context, he is holding “serious discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach an agreement, saying, “We are helping Ukraine like no one has helped it before,” and stressed that his goal is to get Ukraine out of this war. The US President stressed that an agreement with Ukraine regarding the precious metals it owns is very close.

For his part, the French president said that “Europe is ready to strengthen its defense, and our common goal is to build a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine,” expressing his hope for strong American participation to ensure this, stressing that Ukraine “must participate” in the talks to end the war. Macron joined Trump in a virtual meeting with G7 leaders that lasted more than two hours, where issues including the Ukraine war and economic relations were discussed.

The French president’s visit to the White House comes amid concerns among the European bloc about the negotiation file between the United States and Russia to end the war, after Trump began negotiations with Moscow without the participation of the Ukrainians or the Europeans.