When Emmanuel Macron interrupts and corrects Donald Trump on Ukraine in the middle of a press conference
While traveling in the United States, the French president gave a press conference with his American counterpart on Monday, February 24.
After a muscular handshake, the cockfight continued during a press conference organized at the White House. In front of journalists, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump put several subjects on the table on Monday, February 24, such as NATO and aid to Ukraine. It was in fact while discussing this last subject that the head of state interrupted and reprimanded the 47th President of the United States.
" Just so you understand, Europe is lending money to Ukraine . They will see their money back ," Donald Trump declared with aplomb. Before being immediately cut off by the French president: " No, in fact, to be frank, we have paid 60% of the total (war) effort, and that is happening, like the United States, through loans, guarantees, donations... ". Which does not seem to convince the Republican who responds with a doubtful pout and a wave of the arm.
Emmanuel Macron continued: "And we have made real donations to be precise. We have 230 billion in frozen assets in Europe , Russian assets. But it is not to compensate for these loans, because these assets do not belong to us. They are frozen. If, in the end, during the negotiations with Russia, they are ready to give them to us, great!" Visibly resentful, Donald Trump then shows his muscles by addressing journalists: "If you believe that, it does not bother me. They get their money back, not us."
In accordance with a European agreement, the French government announced at the beginning of September that it would use part of the 1.4 billion euros corresponding to the interests of Russian assets confiscated in the EU to finance purchases of military equipment for Ukraine . The operation represents for France an amount of 300 million euros over the year 2024, the Ministry of the Armed Forces specified at the time in a press release.
Some €200 billion of Russian assets were frozen in the EU after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, of which around 90% are in Belgium , at the headquarters of the international depository organisation Euroclear. The Twenty-Seven had reached an agreement last May to use the interest generated by these frozen assets of the Russian central bank. Brussels already released a first tranche of €1.5 billion in aid last July.
lefigaro
