Macron suggests Geneva hosts Putin-Zelenskyy summit as European leaders meet Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron instructed that Geneva might host a peace summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who’re set to fulfill after separate talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking after he and different European leaders joined the Ukrainian president for high-stakes conferences on the White House on Monday (August 18, 2025), Mr. Macron stated the introduced Zelenskyy-Putin summit could be held in Europe.

“It shall be (hosted by) a impartial nation, perhaps Switzerland — I’m pushing for Geneva — or one other nation,” Mr. Macron stated in an interview aired Tuesday on French information channel LCI.

“The final time there have been bilateral talks, they had been 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.

Mr. Macron stated France and Britain would maintain a gathering on Tuesday with different Ukrainian allies to “preserve them updated on what was determined” in Washington on offering safety ensures for Ukraine, a key speaking level within the conferences with MR. Trump.

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

Addressing whether or not Mr. Zelenskyy could be pressured to surrender territory to Russia, Mr. Macron stated it was “as much as Ukraine”.

“Ukraine will make the concessions it deems simply and proper,” he stated.

But “let’s be very cautious once we discuss authorized recognition”, he added. “If nations… can say, ‘we will take territory by power’, (that) opens a Pandora’s field.”