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.

It comes after Zelensky tells European leaders his country needs security guarantees to prevent Russia invading again in years to come.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he wants the European Union to boost its military autonomy and alleviate reliance on the US over the next five to 10 years — responding to a long-running demand from Washington.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the White House to try and persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to continue defending Ukraine — and keep Europe at the negotiating table.

As Donald Trump raises questions over security, Germany’s election winner and the French leader want to safeguard the continent’s influence.

Mr Zelensky, posting on X, said: "Every day, our people stand against aerial terror. On the eve of the third anniversary of the full-scale war, Russia launched 267 attack drones against Ukraine – the largest attack since Iranian drones began striking Ukrainian cities and villages.

Europe’s leaders are caught between the need to boost their defence spending in a hurry, and their tight finances. The European leaders gathered by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday at a rapidly convened summit in Paris may have debated the creation of a joint borrowing vehicle that would help shore up their militaries while mutualising the associated fiscal cost.