French President Emmanuel Macron posted a video online that shows behind-the-scenes moments of his visit to Kyiv on May 10th this year and his attempt to establish contact with American leader Donald Trump
This clip, published on Macron’s official Facebook page, became an unexpected display of how European leaders act in times of global conflicts and diplomatic challenges. According to the material, the first part of the video shows footage from a VIP carriage of the Ukrainian railway used by Macron, British Prime Minister Kiri Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during their trip to Ukraine’s capital. In the recordings, the French president inquires about the scheduled arrival time of the train, noting that it is 7 a.m. French time. In his comments, he emphasizes the importance of confirming support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the context of a possible ceasefire: “We need to reassure Zelensky that if he proposes cooperation – we support it. But if the ceasefire is not maintained, sanctions will follow. This is an important balance and a sign of our solidarity with the USA.” Next, the footage shifts to show Macron organizing a phone call with Trump while the European leaders are at the Mariinsky Palace. Macron’s words are heard in the voice-over commentary: “Hello, Donald. Can I call you in two minutes along with Zelensky… Then I’ll call back in two minutes with everyone else.” In subsequent shots, he informs Trump: “Tell them that we’ve agreed with Trump. You can call him now. It’s 6 a.m. over there.” During the call, Macron shares that European leaders and Americans support the idea of a 30-day halt in hostilities, which is to begin on Monday. According to the voice-over, this truce is meant to help establish fair and long-term peace, and in case of violations, joint large-scale sanctions will follow. Macron emphasizes that the fate of peace and freedom in Europe is now being decided in Kyiv, highlighting the importance of Ukraine’s capital in global diplomacy. At the same time, the video contains scenes where leaders share their views on the further development of the conflict. The basis for these statements is information from diplomatic sources: earlier, Politico reported that Macron, despite the early morning in Washington, called Trump to initiate a joint conversation and coordinate important diplomatic steps. It is noteworthy that during this period, the Ukrainian government proposed a global plan to end the war. At the Kyiv summit, many leaders from the “Coalition of the Determined” insisted that Russia must unconditionally cease fire for 30 days starting May 12. If Russia refuses, these countries are ready to coordinate the application of new sanctions, synchronized with the USA and European countries. No response from the Kremlin has been given to this proposal yet. Vladimir Putin has remained silent on the possibility of a 30-day pause in hostilities but announced his readiness for direct negotiations with Kyiv in Istanbul on May 15. Meanwhile, Macron’s diplomatic circles and high-level diplomatic sources hinted that the main condition for any concessions is Russia’s agreement to a ceasefire. Overall, this Macron video underscores many questions about how diplomacy in modern conditions uses innovative communication tools to achieve objectives. The behind-the-scenes demonstration of the call with Trump highlights the importance of personal approaches and quick reactions in contemporary international politics. At the same time, these events confirm that Kyiv is now becoming a key platform for making fateful decisions worldwide.