French President Emmanuel Macron has said that his American counterpart Donald Trump cannot ignore it if Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin continues to evade a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite having agreed to it at the summit in Alaska.

Source:Macron at a press conference on 29 August after meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as reported by European Pravda

Details:Macron pointed out that during the summit in Alaska – more than 10 days ago – Putin told Trump he was ready to meet with Zelenskyy. Since then, Moscow has been inventing excuses for why it is not yet prepared.

Macron stressed that if the meeting is still not agreed by Monday 1 September, "it will mean that President Putin played President Trump (…) and this cannot remain without a response".  [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.] 

Quote: "We will both speak to President Trump… And if next week we have to conclude that once again, after months of broken promises, nothing is happening – we will argue very clearly for primary and secondary sanctions to be imposed." 

Background: 

• After outrage in Russia, Macron said that he stood by his earlier comments describing the Kremlin leader as a "predator" and an "ogre".
• On 29 August, the Kremlin reiterated its explanations for avoiding a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !