Macron: Productive talks with Trump on Red Sea and Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said he held a “very constructive” meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York where they focused on security in the Red Sea and the war in Ukraine.

The leaders met on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. Macron said the two discussed concrete measures to increase the safety of oil shipments transiting the Red Sea.

Macron told reporters that the conversation also covered support for Kyiv. "We also discussed the need to help our Ukrainian friends even more quickly and decisively with interceptor missiles," he said.

Short, detailed exchange

The French president described the exchange as detailed and cooperative. "We had a very fruitful conversation. It was extremely constructive, there was a great willingness to engage in dialogue and we were able to examine in detail these two conflicts, which are obviously important for world peace and for our security and which have a direct impact on the purchasing power of the French people," Macron said.

According to Macron, the meeting lasted about half an hour. Ahead of the encounter he had pledged to speak "completely openly" with Trump and to try to "steer him towards the right decisions," especially regarding Ukraine, his aides said.

Macron's team framed the objective as persuading the U.S. president to maintain and reinforce efforts to support Ukraine and to step up pressure on Russia.

Photo: press material from the event