Macron suggests Geneva hosts Putin-Zelensky summit

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Geneva could play host to a peace summit between Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, who look set to meet after separate talks with US President Donald Trump.

Speaking after he and other European leaders joined the Ukrainian president for high-stakes meetings at the White House on Monday, Macron said the announced Zelensky-Putin summit would be held in Europe.

“It will be (hosted by) a neutral country, maybe Switzerland — I’m pushing for Geneva — or another country,” Macron said in an interview aired Tuesday on French news channel LCI.

“The last time there were bilateral talks, they were held in Istanbul,” he added, referring to the three rounds of lower-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Turkey between May and July.

Macron said France and Britain would hold a meeting Tuesday with other Ukrainian allies to “keep them up to date on what was decided” in Washington on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, a key talking point in the meetings with Trump.

“Right after that, we’ll start concrete work with the Americans. So as of tomorrow (Tuesday), our diplomatic advisers, ministers, chiefs of staff begin work on seeing who’s ready to do what,” he said.

Addressing whether Zelensky would be forced to give up territory to Russia, Macron said it was “up to Ukraine”.

“Ukraine will make the concessions it deems just and right,” he said.

But “let’s be very careful when we talk about legal recognition”, he added.

“If countries… can say, ‘we can take territory by force’, (that) opens a Pandora’s box.”