France’s head of state of the future, Emmanuel Macron, used his negotiating skills to get Donald Trump, head of state of the present — both are by now only of the country, but of the whole world — to agree to do what everybody except for him said was necessary: meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump persistently resisted Macron’s efforts to sit down with Zelenskyy but eventually relented, Axios and other media outlets reported.
The two had a 45-minute meeting on Dec. 7 that was characterized as “good and productive.” Though the substance of the conversations has not been fully disclosed, Macron was one of the heads of state who continued to advocate for diplomacy in addressing the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine and is thought to have used the opportunity to prompt a serious discussion about the war and how it can be resolved.
Trump had initially been reluctant to meet with Zelenskyy, according to Axios, citing insiders, reported on Saturday, talking about him the sources saying that Trump does not want to meet him. Macron’s diplomacy — alongside the positioning of the meeting as a crucial piece of the larger global power play — managed to turn the tide. The meeting comes during a time of high tension due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has focused the eyes of world leaders on the two nations, particularly the US and France, which have been active in the international response.
Earlier according to Bloomberg Macron tried — during the trilateral session — to nudge the trilateral conversation in the direction of paths to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. It also underscores Macron’s longstanding urge to seek a peace solution through diplomacy, casting himself as an intermediary figure on the international stage around the crisis.
While the leaders’ interaction is important, this gathering’s significance lies also in who will determine Ukraine’s sovereignty in the future, and by what means — in concert with the West and especially the United States and France. As Trump prepares to take office, this summit marks the potential for a new trajectory in US-Ukraine relations guided by the foreign policy tactics of both Macron and Trump.
With the world on the sidelines, the diplomatic tango between these two central players will no doubt play out further and stand to shape the course of relations internationally and ongoing negotiation efforts in Ukraine.
