Trump vindicated the French president on self-reliant defense. But with Putin looming, the hard work starts now for Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron said a truce between Russia and Ukraine could be just weeks away, paving the way for sustainable peace negotiations, but warned it must be a "substantial" deal backed

Onlookers have long noticed the French and American presidents' attempts to show dominance when they shake hands. Here's a look back at Trump and Macron's handshake dynamic.

Macron used his extensive repertoire of compliments, tactile body language and handshakes that never seemed to end on “Dear Donald.” And he even got away with correcting him in the Oval Office over his false claims that Washington had almost doubled Europe’s support for Ukraine.

Trump's rhetoric at the time sparked a major debate over the future of European security. Macron, who also took office in 2017, began to propose the formation of a "true European army" as an alternative to NATO and famously warned of the "brain death" of the alliance in 2019.

To immediately free up budgetary leeway to finance his country's rearmament, the incoming chancellor plans to vote in a special €200 billion fund for the army. He hopes to reform the strict budgetary rules – the "debt brake" – enshrined in the Basic Law, with the support of the outgoing Bundestag.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had a conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. They discussed the recent visit of the French