The European Union came out of the first Trump presidency stronger and must continue to become more independent, the French president told his top diplomats.
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00:00French President Emmanuel Macron extended an olive branch to U.S. President-elect Donald
00:06Trump days before his inauguration, declaring France a solid ally as he outlined his vision
00:12for global diplomacy in 2025. Macron emphasized France's commitments to fostering cooperation
00:18while urging European nations to fortify their unity and resilience, saying there was little
00:23chance of being respected by the U.S. if they decided to be weak and defeatist.
00:27President Trump knows that he has a solid ally in France, an ally that he does not underestimate,
00:32who has clear views, who believes in Europe, who has confidence in him, who carries an
00:36ambition for the transatlantic relationship, but a lucid ambition. I will have the opportunity
00:41to come back to this by looking very clearly at the fact that since 2011, successive American
00:46presidents have all told us the same thing. Their priority is first the United States
00:51of America, then the relationship with China. Europe has another rank, another place.
01:01Macron's speech laid out France's foreign policy priorities, spanning the war in Ukraine,
01:06European defense and the Middle East. He said as Europeans, we cannot let Russia win in Ukraine,
01:12adding that there would not be an easy or rapid solution in the region. However,
01:16he also warned that Ukraine needed to have realistic discussions on territorial issues,
01:21urging he for the first time to consider territorial concessions.