FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron said he discussed with US President Donald Trump an initiative to halt attacks on energy infrastructure between Ukraine and Russia, as the two leaders met ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week.
Speaking to reporters after their meeting on Monday, Macron said the discussions focused on strengthening Ukraine’s defences and efforts to reduce attacks affecting the energy sector.
“We had a lengthy discussion on Ukraine and Russia, the need to help our Ukrainian friends more quickly and more strongly in terms of interceptors, because that is the key issue from a defensive point of view,” Macron said.
Macron added the two leaders had also discussed the possibility of a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure, an issue he planned to raise with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later that day.
He said protecting Ukraine’s energy system remained a priority as the war continued to affect security across Europe.
“The other issue we talked about was the situation in the Red Sea... It’s important for global prices. Then we had a long discussion about Ukraine and Russia,” AFP quoted Macron as saying.
“We had a very good discussion. It was very constructive.”
Macron said Trump was “very amenable” to detailed discussions on both conflicts, which he described as important for global peace and security.
Ahead of the meeting, a French official said Macron was prepared to approach Trump with “total candour”.
The Red Sea has become an increasingly important oil shipping route amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, although insecurity around the Bab al-Mandab Strait has complicated shipping operations.
Macron travelled to New York from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory off Canada’s Atlantic coast, where he met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
He was also scheduled to meet Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. - September 22, 2026
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