French President Emmanuel Macron said he would address the nation on Wednesday regarding the current global uncertainty following the radical shift in U.S. policy on Ukraine under Donald Trump.
"My dear compatriots — I will address you tonight at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) at this moment of great uncertainty when the world is facing its greatest challenges," Macron wrote on X, announcing his first such address since Trump stunned the world with his foreign policy changes.
A source close to the president, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Macron would address the fast-evolving situation after Trump made clear his desire to swiftly end the war caused by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine through direct negotiations with Moscow.
Macron could also announce the "next steps" in the diplomatic process, the source added.
In the initial phase following the February 2022 Russian invasion, Macron repeatedly held telephone talks with President Vladimir Putin. However, their last such contact dates back to September 2022.
His address will come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called for a "truce" in the sea and sky as a first step toward ending the three-year war with Russia, echoing an idea put forward by Macron during talks in London hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the weekend.
Zelensky appears to be seeking to lower tensions following Friday's White House confrontation with Trump, during which the U.S. president accused the Ukrainian leader of not wanting peace and "gambling with World War III."
On Tuesday, Trump said he had received an "important" letter from Zelensky, which stated that Kyiv was ready for talks with Russia and the finalization of a U.S. minerals deal. Trump added, "I appreciate that he (Zelensky) sent this letter."
'Lasting peace'
Macron welcomed Zelensky's willingness to "re-engage in dialogue" with Trump, the French presidency said Tuesday, after the Oval Office confrontation raised questions about the future of their relationship.
Macron, who has been in regular contact with both Trump and Zelensky in recent days, has "reiterated France's determination to work with all stakeholders to implement a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine," the French presidency added.
French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas on Wednesday welcomed what she described as "a resumption of dialogue" between the United States and Ukraine.
"It's good because no one has an interest in cutting ties with the United States. In this context, and in the framework of the agreement on minerals that seems to be on its way, we may have conditions that will allow us to establish lasting and robust peace. This is what the Europeans want," she told LCI TV.
Coincidentally, Macron is scheduled to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban later on Wednesday at the Élysée. Orban, who admires both Trump and Putin, has repeatedly broken from the united EU front on Ukraine.
Macron will then join other EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday for a summit aimed at agreeing on a massive increase in European defense spending to make up for the expected reduction in transatlantic support under Trump.
With AFP
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