"Hello, Donald": Macron video shows him calling Trump from Kyiv on 10 May

French President Emmanuel Macron has posted a behind-the-scenes video of the joint trip that European leaders made to Kyiv on 10 May, including the moment he called US President Donald Trump in the early hours of the morning, Washington time.

Source: European Pravda, with reference to the video on Macron's Facebook page

Details: The video begins in the VIP train carriage operated by Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia), Ukraine's state railway operator, in which Macron is travelling to Kyiv with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Macron asks whether the train is arriving at 08:00 and is told that it is 07:00 French time.

During footage of the train journey and arrival at the station, Macron says: "We need to reassure Zelenskyy by telling him: if he proposes to engage, you will engage. But if the ceasefire is not respected, then there will be sanctions. It will be a good balance. And we are engaging the Americans."

Macron is then shown arranging a call with Trump while the European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are in talks at the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv.

"Hello, Donald," Macron says. "May I call you in two minutes with Zelenskyy?... I'll call you back in two minutes with the others."

"Tell them that we've got a deal with Trump. You can call him now. It's 06:00 his time," he says afterwards.

"We've now decided to back a ceasefire that will start on Monday, which should last 30 days to start building a just and lasting peace," the voiceover says, referring to the agreement between the European leaders and Zelenskyy in Kyiv. "And if the ceasefire is violated, the Europeans and the Americans will prepare and coordinate large-scale sanctions."

Macron also notes in the video that "the fate of peace and freedom in Europe is now being decided in Kyiv".

Background:

• Earlier, sources told Politico that Macron called Trump, despite the early hour in Washington, to initiate a joint conversation.
• During a visit to Kyiv on 10 May, the leaders of the coalition of the willing demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting 12 May, saying they are ready to ramp up sanctions, which would be coordinated by Europe and the United States, if Moscow refuses.
• Putin has not responded to the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, but said he is willing to hold direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday 15 May.
• Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have made it clear that Russia would first have to agree to a ceasefire. The Trump team has sent out the same message.

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