During a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the discussion focused on ways to push the situation toward real peace, including through the implementation of a full set of sanctions against Russia and the protection of Ukrainian airspace. This was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint media briefing in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The conversation with President Trump took place following today’s “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Paris. Participants included Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Stephen Vitcoff.
Volodymyr Zelensky thanked President Trump for his support and noted that the discussion addressed how to push the situation toward genuine peace. Specifically, they talked about a full package of sanctions that could deprive Russia of the means to finance its war.
“We discussed various options, and the most important thing is pressure—strong measures, including economic ones—to force an end to the war. The key to peace is depriving Russia’s war machine of money and resources,” the Head of State emphasized.
“If Russia continues to refuse concrete peace negotiations, as it has been delaying since March, then together with America, we will implement additional sanctions and provide a clear response to Russia’s refusal. This is the context in which our conversation with President Trump took place,” added Emmanuel Macron.
The conversation also addressed the maximum protection of Ukrainian airspace. The President of Ukraine noted that as long as there is no peace, Ukrainians should not be subjected to constant Russian attacks; Russian missiles and drones should not take lives.
“We are considering one format. Yesterday we discussed it in detail with Emmanuel, speaking about this format for the first time. Today we shared it with our partners, and then with President Trump. If we receive a positive signal from the U.S., because technically a lot depends on them in this air defense format, we will be happy to share this information,” the Head of State added.
The leaders agreed to continue further contacts.
