Macron says Trump wants Ukraine involved in territory talks with Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a statement in Paris, France, 28 November, 2024.
Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed Ukraine must have a seat at the table in any negotiations over territory as part of a ceasefire deal with Russia.

This is the first public indication of the discussions held between Trump, European leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

If confirmed, Trump’s position could reassure Kyiv and its allies, who have worried that Washington and Moscow might strike a deal compromising European and Ukrainian security by redrawing borders.

The Trump-Putin meeting aims to address the three-and-a-half-year conflict in Ukraine, Europe’s largest war since World War Two, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin for German-hosted virtual talks with European leaders and later with Trump. European governments remain concerned that any land swap deal could leave Russia controlling nearly a fifth of Ukraine and embolden Moscow to push further west.

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