France's President Emmanuel Macron, from second left, speaks with President Donald Trump as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio react during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via AP)2025-03-09T07:18:08Z PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the center of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with President Donald Trump, championing a Ukraine peace plan alongside his British counterpart, and seeing his longstanding desire to boost European defense turning into reality.Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after his call for early legislative elections produced a hung parliament, sparking an unprecedented crisis. Known for his nonstop political activism, Macron shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic struggles largely to the prime minister. Now, he appears as the one leader who speaks to Trump several times per week and takes the lead in European support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as the commander-in-chief of the European Unions only nuclear power.Key world player Macron, 47, is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term in office, maintaining despite disagreements a cordial relationship, which both describe as friendship. He was the first European leader to visit Trump since his reelection, seeking to persuade him not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal with Russia.Macron is also a heavyweight of European politics, and shifting U.S. policies gave momentum to his longstanding views. Since he was first elected in 2017, Macron has pushed for a stronger, more sovereign Europe. That same year, in a sweeping speech at Sorbonne University, he called for a common European defense policy, with increased military cooperation and joint defense initiatives. He later lamented the brain death of the NATO military alliance, insisting the EU should step up and start acting as a strategic world power.On Thursday, EU leaders committed to strengthening defenses and freeing up hundreds of billions of euros for security in the wake of Trumps warnings that they might face the Russian threat alone. Nuclear powerIn a resounding declaration last week, Macron announced he would discuss extending Frances nuclear deterrent to European partners to help protect the continent. Frances nuclear power is inherited from the strategy set by wartime hero Gen. Charles de Gaulle, president from 1958 to 1969, who sought to maintain Frances independence from the U.S. and assert the countrys role as a global power. That went through the development of an independent French nuclear arsenal. Poland and Baltic nations welcomed the proposal. Frances Minister for European affairs Benjamin Haddad praised Macrons efforts, saying they were aimed at ensuring that in the face of this world upheaval, Europeans are not spectators but players.New British and German partnersSome other key players appear to back Macrons approach. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in office for eight months, has sought closer defense cooperation with Europe as part of a reset with the EU after years of bitterness over Brexit.Macron and Starmer are now spearheading a desperate diplomatic drive to bolster Ukraines defenses, drawing up a peace plan with Kyiv at its core. That plan includes the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace agreement. Meanwhile, Germanys conservative election winner Friedrich Merz said his top priority would be to strengthen Europe as soon as possible and gradually move toward real independence from the U.S.Only three days after his victory last month, Merz, who has called for a discussion on nuclear sharing with France, traveled to Paris for a working dinner with Macron.No statement was released after the meeting, but French officials with knowledge of the matter said both mens visions for Europe align. They spoke anonymously because the talks were not to be made public. Russias criticismRussias foreign ministry accused Macron of demonstrative militarism dictated by the domestic agenda. The ministry said that Macron seeks to distract the French public from worsening socio-economic problems in France and the European Union.Moscow dismissed Macrons nuclear deterrent offer as extremely confrontational, saying the remarks reflected Paris ambitions to become the nuclear patron of all of Europe, despite the fact that Frances nuclear forces are far smaller than those of the U.S.Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a comparison with Napoleon, saying that some people want to return to the times of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended a reference to the emperors failed invasion of Russia in 1812. Macron responded by calling Putin an imperialist. Reinvigorated at homeReelected in 2022, Macron last year struggled not to become a lame duck after his call for early legislative elections led to a chaotic situation in parliament, delaying the approval of the state budget and forcing the quick replacement of the prime minister.However, the French Constitution grants the president some substantial powers over foreign policy, European affairs and defense. Macron has a presidential mandate until 2027 and he has said he wont step down before the end of his term.Macrons activism on the global stage drew criticism from opposition leaders. Far-right National Rally party vice president Sbastien Chenu described Macrons moody character as one of the biggest issues for French diplomacy. He offended many people, he often changed his mind, Chenu said. The head of the hard-left France Unbowed group at the National Assembly, Mathilde Panot, also voiced concerns. The situation is too serious and the President of the Republic is too weakened for him to decide on his own, she said. We dont just want to be consulted. ... Its up to the parliament to decide on such serious issues.___Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to the story. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site