Trump, Zelensky and Macron agree in Paris to "work together" to end the war

This Saturday, French President, Emmanuel Macron hosted a significant diplomatic meeting: the first in-person meeting between Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, since the recent U.S. presidential election.

The meeting, organized in Paris ahead of the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, marked Trump's first international trip as president-elect in his second term. Macron described the visit as a "great honor for French people," while Trump recalled the "great relationship" they shared during his first administration.

A trilateral approach to peace

In a last-minute change of agenda, Macron brought about the trilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky, who were initially scheduled to meet separately with the French leader. The meeting, which lasted less than an hour, focused on the conflict in Ukraine and joint efforts to seek peace.

Zelensky, in a message on X, expressed his gratitude to Macron and described the meeting as "good and productive." He also reaffirmed his commitment to peace: "We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We agreed to continue working together and keep in contact."

For his part, Macron urged the three nations to maintain their joint efforts for global security, reiterating the key role of international cooperationin resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

Reopening of Notre Dame: a moment of unity

Following the meeting, the leaders attended the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral, rebuilt after a devastating fire in 2019. Macron highlighted the reconstruction of Notre Dame as a symbol of global fraternity, mentioning how donations and collective work united nations to help rebuild it.

The ceremony was attended by leaders including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Britain's Prince William, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Trump's close ally, entrepreneur Elon Musk.