Macron and Zelensky Discuss Trump Strategy During G7 Summit

At the G7 leaders’ summit in Evian-les-Bains, French President Emmanuel Macron was heard on a microphone asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether he had a bilateral meeting scheduled with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy’s reply was not audible, but Macron urged him to extend his stay in France, to which Zelenskyy said he needed to travel to Brussels for a European Council summit on Ukraine’s EU accession on 18 April. The two leaders also mentioned the upcoming G7 session on Ukraine that will include Trump.

The interaction contrasted with Trump’s more formal reception, which involved the head of protocol from the Élysée Palace rather than a personal greeting from Macron, who was reportedly in a bilateral meeting with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the time. Macron and his wife Brigitte later welcomed Trump at the summit.

European officials see the conversation as part of broader efforts to keep Trump engaged in the summit’s agenda, especially after he left the previous year’s G7 early. Macron has invited Trump to a dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, while some officials remain wary that Trump could attempt to influence Ukraine peace talks after his recent agreement with Iran.