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

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

As Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron is positioning himself as a crucial bridge between Europe and an administration that shows early signs of

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.

Emmanuel Macron gave a speech to the French armed forces in the face of an 'acceleration' of threats which, in his view, requires Europe to 'spend more on defense.'

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.