Macron: Putin will deceive Trump if he refuses to meet Zelenskyy before Monday
Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron (Getty Images)
If Russian President Vladimir Putin does not agree to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by Monday, September 1, he would have deceived US President Donald Trump, stated French President Emmanuel Macron, Reuters reports.
Macron said that the latest massive attack on Kyiv showed the gap between Putin’s rhetoric about a ceasefire or peace talks and the reality.
The French President reminded that Trump had set a deadline for Putin to agree to a meeting with Zelenskyy by September 1.
"If that doesn't happen by Monday, the deadline set by President Trump, it means that once again President Putin played President Trump," Macron stressed.
Macron said he believed this was not good and, therefore, could not go unanswered.
Zelenskyy–Putin meeting
After the Washington summit, US President Donald Trump proposed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting. This sparked discussions about the possible venue.
The media reported that the Kremlin leader suggested meeting Zelenskyy in Moscow, but the Ukrainian President declined.
Meanwhile, there were reports that the White House proposed Hungary as a potential location for the talks, though there has been no official confirmation of Budapest as the venue.
Zelenskyy said the meeting with Putin should only take place on neutral ground in Europe — for example, in Austria or Switzerland. He also did not rule out the possibility of negotiations in Türkiye.
At the same time, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Putin was ready to meet with the Ukrainian President only if all issues requiring discussion at the highest level are thoroughly prepared.
Moscow also said that Ukraine and Russia have not yet moved closer to holding a high-level summit. A Zelenskyy–Putin meeting would only be possible once both sides agree on the agenda.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President insisted that Russia is doing everything it can to prevent the meeting from happening.
Trump stressed that Russia would face serious consequences if Putin refused to meet with Zelensky.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also warned of possible tougher sanctions against Russia if the meeting between the Russian leader and the Ukrainian President does not take place soon.
