Bangladesh, Feb. 15 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has described Donald Trumps return to the White House as an “electroshock” for Europe, urging the European Union to assume greater responsibility for its security and economic future. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Macron emphasized that the EU must embrace a “strategic wake-up” and reduce its dependence on the United States, China, and Russia.

Macrons remarks follow Trumps phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders agreed to initiate negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The conversation, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, was the first known direct interaction between the two leaders since h...