French President Emmanuel Macron drew attention at the G7 summit Tuesday after he revealed that he had a “difficult” discussion with President Donald Trump ahead of key talks focused on Ukraine.
According to the New York Post, Macron made the comment while speaking privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before a working session involving G7 leaders in Evian-les-Bains, France.
“Yesterday we had a difficult discussion with President Trump,” Macron told Zelenskyy as cameras and microphones captured portions of the exchange.
The moment sparked online buzz as world leaders gathered to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Western support for Kyiv.
Hot mic exchange
The conversation between Macron and Zelenskyy reportedly took place while the two leaders walked through the grounds of the Hotel Royal, where the summit is being held on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Speaking in English, Macron encouraged Zelenskyy to remain longer at the gathering, but the Ukrainian leader responded that he needed to travel to Brussels later in the week.
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{{/usCountry}}Macron then asked whether Zelenskyy had arranged a face-to-face meeting with Trump during the summit. Zelenskyy reportedly said he had requested one while speaking to Trump by phone Sunday to wish him a happy 80th birthday.
“OK, I will arrange that,” Macron replied, according to the New York Post.
The conversation fueled speculation about tensions between Trump and several European leaders attending the summit.
Trump-Zelenskyy meeting later takes place
Despite the earlier uncertainty, Trump later confirmed to reporters that he would meet Zelenskyy during the summit.
According to reports, Trump arrived nearly 50 minutes late to Tuesday’s Ukraine-focused meeting and initially did not greet the Ukrainian president, who was welcomed warmly by other G7 leaders.
However, the two leaders later held a brief discussion at the conclusion of the session. Zelenskyy later shared photographs on social media showing the pair seated across from each other in conversation.
Ukraine support remains central issue
European officials reportedly used the summit discussions to argue that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a weaker strategic position and urged Trump to strengthen US support for Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukraine’s priorities included securing more air defense missiles, winter assistance packages and additional pressure on Russia.