Is Putin ‘playing’ Trump over Ukraine peace talks? Macron sounds alarm

US President Trump recently held separate talks with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky over the Ukraine war.

Updated on: Aug 31, 2025, 13:34:14 IST

By HT News Desk

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French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to commit to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by Monday, it would signal that he has once again "played" US President Donald Trump.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke about the Ukraine war during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (REUTERS)

Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday, Macron said, "If that doesn't happen by Monday, the deadline set by President Trump, it means that once again President Putin played President Trump."

The White House previously said it believed Putin would agree to meet with Zelensky, but that’s been knocked down by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and others. The meeting is unlikely to materialise, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week.

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The comments come amid rising pressure from the US, with Trump reportedly setting a firm deadline for Putin to agree to direct talks with Zelensky.

US President Trump recently held separate talks with Russian President Putin, whom he met in Alaska, and Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House over the Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Zelensky also weighed in on Friday, pointing to Trump's earlier remarks in which he gave Putin “a week or two” to respond to the proposed meeting.

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"Two weeks will be on Monday. And we will remind everybody," Zelensky said.

Zelensky dials PM Modi

Earlier in the day, President Zelensky spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine as the Indian leader landed in China for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

“Russia continues the war, Russia continues killing,” Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation on Saturday.

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“India’s prime minister agreed that a ceasefire is needed,” he said, adding that he hoped that sentiment would be expressed by Modi while in China.

Separately, on social media, Zelensky said that “Moscow has given no positive signal” that it’s preparing for diplomacy to end its invasion of Ukraine, which has passed the three-and-a-half-year mark.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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HT News Desk
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