French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told US President-elect Donald Trump about changes in Russian leader Vladimir Putin's policies. The leaders met in Paris, where the opening ceremony of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral took place after restoration.
Macron and Zelensky said in a conversation with Trump that "Putin in 2024 is not the same as he was in 2017," when Trump entered office for his first presidency.
Donald Trump was friendly, respectful, open and seemed to be in a listening mood, Reuters said. Yet, neither the American leader nor his officials dealing with the Ukraine crisis shared any details about their vision for the resolution of the conflict.
Emmanuel Macron used the meeting to show Trump that the EU countries had done a lot to resolve the conflict and support Kyiv, and were therefore ready to share responsibilities for ensuring Ukraine's security with the United States more equally.
During the meeting, Trump told Macron and Zelensky that he wanted a ceasefire in Ukraine. The leaders did not discuss specific details of the process to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, the meeting gave the first clue as to how negotiations might proceed. Donald Trump was persistent about an immediate ceasefire and negotiations, Reuters added with reference to four senior sources.
The meeting in Paris also showed that the US president-elect had no detailed plan for Ukraine. This evokes a growing sense of uncertainty in Kyiv, a source in the Ukrainian president's office admitted. This feeling is particularly painful against the backdrop of Russia's successful offensive on the front, the agency added.
Macron and Zelensky were on the same page during their meeting in Paris, but were careful not to appear to be cornering Trump, Reuters also noted.
According to sources close to Trump, the politician intends to first establish personal contacts with all the parties to the conflict before deciding on further action.
Trump's visit to Paris was his first trip abroad and his first face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian president since the November elections.
According to French media, Trump was supposed to hold talks with Macron. However, the meeting that was held in Paris took place in a trilateral format. Zelensky was invited to the talks, although Trump did not initially plan to meet the Ukrainian leader. It was Macron who convinced Trump of the need for that, Axios notes.