French President Emmanuel Macron says Europe must "wake up" and spend more on its defense as Trump returns, but how realistic is the suggestion?

The French President called on Europe to spend more on defence to reduce their reliance on the United States for security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has held further discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of Western troops deploying in Ukraine to safeguard any peace d

It would be easy for President Donald Trump to exclude his European counterparts from peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. But involving European partners is necessary to secure a better

No less certain is what Trump will decide to do. Any plan to deploy European troops to Ukraine — especially NATO member countries — would likely need U.S. backing to be an effective deterrent. That would keep Trump involved in Europe, something he doesn’t want.

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 has called on Europe to "wake up" and spend more on defense, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power.

"We also agreed to work closely with key allies on achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says French youth being prepared for confrontation under the guise of voluntary measures

President Donald Trump has demanded that Russia end its invasion of Ukraine or face punitive economic measures

A key worry among EU diplomats is a scenario where Trump would be inclined to hold bilateral talks with Russia's Putin over the Europeans' heads.