U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. During the joint press conference, Macron unusually interrupted Trump's remarks, correcting Trump's statement about European countries providing aid funds to Ukraine in the form of "loans."

That day, Trump and Macron briefly engaged with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. During his remarks, Trump reiterated his steadfast belief that European countries providing aid funds to Ukraine in the form of "loans" would ultimately be able to "recoup" the money.

Macron immediately reached out to interrupt Trump and retorted that Europe had "paid" for a certain percentage of the total aid to Ukraine out of its own pocket, and that Europe's methods of aiding Ukraine were the same as those of the United States, including loans, guarantees, and (non-repayable) grants. Macron stated that Europe had frozen over a billion dollars in Russian assets, "These are not loan collateral because they do not belong to us."

Trump clearly disagreed with Macron's statement. He responded, "If you think so, I have no problem with that. They (Europe) can get their money back, but we (the U.S.) couldn’t—until now."

2月24日，美国总统特朗普（右）在华盛顿白宫与到访的法国总统马克龙举行联合记者会。新华社记者胡友松摄

U.S. media widely believe that the claim by European nations of providing aid to Ukraine in the form of "loans" does not align with the facts. Trump's repetition of this narrative aims to justify the U.S. demand for Ukraine to sign a mineral agreement, essentially seeking mining rights for Ukraine's rare earth resources and other assets as a form of repayment for American aid.

According to Trump, the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement is "very close to completion" and will involve Ukraine's "rare earths and many other things." Ukrainian President Zelensky may come to the U.S. "this week or next week" to sign the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement, during which Trump and Zelensky will meet at the White House.