Trump has promised to push for peace talks in Ukraine within six months but has criticized Europe's lack of defense spending.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Monday to “wake up” and spend more on defense in order to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.

Frederiksen, who met on Tuesday with European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, said she had received 'a great deal of support' from Europe following Donald Trump's threats to gain control of Greenland.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned that Russia's war against Ukraine would not end "tomorrow or the day after" as Donald Trump, who pledged to quickly wind up the conflict, returned to the White House.

German and French leaders Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron are holding bilateral talks. Topics include the new Trump administration, war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

Donald Trump has broken with tradition and invited foreign politicians to his swearing-in, including conservative and far-right figures such as Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Argentina's Javier Milei and French MEP Marion Maréchal.

Weak, distracted and unprepared? How prepared France, Germany and the rest of the continent really are for his return to power

Donald Trump criticized Volodymyr Zelensky in his first interview after returning to the White House, saying he "shouldn't have allowed this war to happen."

From Nigel Farage to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, EU politicians are competing for the privilege of being Europe’s Trump whisperer.

An Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published last weekend suggested a mere 21 per cent of French voters were happy with his presidency, his lowest approval rating since he first took office seven years ago and the second-lowest in modern French history after Francois Hollande, his Socialist predecessor.

If Paris really decided to compete with US President Donald Trump, then there is a poor understanding of the balance of power and it will end badly for Emmanuel Macron. This was stated by Senator Alexei Pushkov.