Macron Says Trump Talks on Red Sea, Ukraine Were ‘Constructive’
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: French President Emmanuel Macron has described talks with US President Donald Trump on the Middle East and Ukraine as “very constructive,” saying the two leaders discussed efforts to ease disruption around critical shipping routes and strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
Macron met Trump in New York after arriving for the annual high-level gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. Speaking after the meeting, the French president said the two leaders held detailed discussions about conflicts affecting international security and energy markets.
A major focus was the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments. Macron said there was a willingness to reopen the waterway and that several possible solutions had been discussed that could allow more tankers and container vessels to transit even without a broader political settlement. He did not provide details of the proposals.
The leaders also discussed the Red Sea, where disruption to commercial shipping has added pressure to global energy and freight routes. Macron said developments there were particularly important because of their impact on global prices.
Attention then turned to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Macron said he pressed Trump on accelerating support for Kyiv’s defensive capabilities, particularly the supply of missile interceptors. He characterised the interceptors as a defensive requirement for protecting Ukraine against Russian missile and drone attacks.
Macron also said the two presidents discussed proposals for an energy truce between Russia and Ukraine, including a possible reciprocal moratorium on attacks targeting energy infrastructure. Reuters reported that Macron planned to discuss the proposal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as diplomatic meetings continued around the UN General Assembly.
The French president additionally referred to the possibility of a moratorium in the Black Sea, according to his public comments following the talks. He stressed that protecting Ukraine’s energy system remained a priority.
Macron subsequently met Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN gathering. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and air-defence requirements have assumed renewed importance ahead of winter as Russian missile and drone attacks continue to hit Ukrainian regions.
The Macron-Trump discussions took place during an intensive period of diplomacy in New York. Trump is scheduled for a series of meetings with international leaders as the wars involving Iran and Ukraine, Red Sea security, energy prices and other geopolitical disputes dominate this year’s UN meetings.
Macron said Trump had been receptive during their discussions and that the two leaders were able to examine both conflicts in detail. However, the publicly available statements do not establish a final agreement on reopening Hormuz, an energy-strike moratorium or additional missile-interceptor deliveries to Ukraine.
