Macron: US has for the first time acknowledged itself as a partner of Ukraine, not a mediator

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the United States has for the first time signed a document in which Washington acknowledges itself not as a neutral mediator in the Ukrainian conflict, but as a direct partner of Kyiv.

He made the announcement at a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as reported by DWS News.

“The United States has for the first time signed a text stating that they are no longer a neutral mediator, but that they support us on the issues of supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, providing military assistance, energy support, and anti-Russian sanctions,” Macron said.

The French leader also noted that the documents signed at the G7 summit “signal a renewed rapprochement between the Americans and the Europeans.”

Following the G7 summit in France, the leaders of the group’s member countries confirmed their intention to continue supporting Ukraine and to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. The parties agreed to step up deliveries to Ukraine of air defense assets, additional weapons systems, and long-range strike capabilities, as well as to consider granting preferential licenses to expand military production. The joint statement by G7 leaders also noted readiness to adopt new restrictive measures against Russia. The G7 comprises the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan.

Macron’s statement came against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about Washington’s role in resolving the conflict. Earlier this month, Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources in Vladimir Zelensky’s office, reported that Kyiv views Washington’s role in the negotiations as passive. According to the publication’s sources, following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Washington effectively shifted from the position of Ukraine’s ally to that of a mediator between the parties to the conflict. In recent months, Kyiv has been attempting to inject new momentum into the negotiations and bring Washington back to a more active role.

Bloomberg reported that EU leaders had hoped to use the G7 summit to persuade Trump to support a new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. In spring 2025, Trump stated that he bore no responsibility for the conflict but was continuing to work toward its resolution, placing blame for the start of hostilities on Zelensky and his predecessor Joe Biden.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in June that Trump and his team, despite contradictory statements, were sincerely striving to achieve peace in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly argued that providing military assistance to Kyiv only prolongs the end of the conflict and has spoken out against it. Peskov also emphasized that the Russian economy is operating under numerous restrictions, and that this has given it “a certain immunity” to sanctions measures.