French President Emmanuel Macron made a sharp statement, claiming Vladimir Putin will have “duped” Donald Trump if the Russian leader does not fulfill his promise to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. This ultimatum comes amid new deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv.
Macron spoke alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a meeting in southern France. He stated that Paris and Berlin would push for new harsh sanctions against Moscow if Putin does not commit to talks with Zelenskiy by September 1st.
European leaders openly questioned the Kremlin’s sincerity. This followed a new Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital that killed civilians. The EU directly accused Putin of undermining the peace process with these strikes.
The new proposed sanctions are reported to include so-called “secondary” measures. These are designed to pressure companies from other countries that still do business with Russia and thereby help fund its war.
Meanwhile, Western allies are intensifying work on providing Ukraine with long-term security guarantees for the future. Macron announced a new meeting of Ukraine’s backers to solidify these commitments, creating a support structure that will endure beyond the war.
This situation places Donald Trump in a difficult position. Macron has presented his Washington ally with an ultimatum: either convince Putin to come to the negotiating table or support a new round of painful sanctions against Russia, which would amount to an admission that the Kremlin outplayed him.