French President Emmanuel Macron, in a live social media broadcast, called on US President Donald Trump to take a strong stance against Russia ahead of their upcoming meeting. “You cannot be weak against Putin. That is not your style, nor in your interest,” Macron said, warning that weakness toward Russia would also undermine credibility against China.

Macron clarified that sending French troops to Ukraine is not currently planned but remains a future possibility. He stressed the need for Europe to strengthen its defense efforts, including new funding initiatives.

He also criticized Trump’s remark calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy an “unelected dictator,” emphasizing that Zelenskiy was democratically elected, unlike Vladimir Putin, who “eliminates opponents and manipulates elections.”