Media have found out: Macron was the initiator of the morning call to Trump from Kyiv, even though it was not yet 7 a
m. in Washington. According to the latest data published by reputable media, it was French President Emmanuel Macron who initiated the phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump at a very early Washington time. This took place in the context of European leaders visiting Kyiv, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital on that day. Sources indicate that the French President took the initiative to dial the American colleague to share the results and details of the three-hour negotiations held at the Mariinsky Palace on May 10 with Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of the “Coalition of the Determined” partner countries. This conversation came as a surprise to the American leader given the timing – it was not yet 7 a.m. in Washington at that moment. However, after receiving information from Macron, Trump agreed to support the initiative of European allies to increase pressure on Russia in the context of the Ukrainian conflict. According to political sources, this information was obtained from two independent high-level officials directly involved in the process. As is known, during the visit to Kyiv on May 10, the leaders of the “Coalition of the Determined” issued a demand for Russia to immediately cease hostilities starting May 12 and announced their intention to impose new sanctions measures in case of refusal. They emphasized that these steps would be coordinated between Europe and the U.S. to intensify pressure on Moscow and strengthen support for Ukraine. After the conclusion of this telegram-style “coalition,” key Ukrainian and European leaders conducted telephone negotiations with Donald Trump. Specifically, President Zelensky was joined by leaders of Germany, France, Poland, and Britain during the conversation. Overall, these were attempts to further consolidate joint efforts to respond to Russia’s aggression. Amid these important diplomatic initiatives, the Kremlin once again remained on the sidelines. Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the situation, noted that he did not respond to the proposal for a 30-day pause in hostilities. At the same time, he announced his readiness for direct negotiations with Kyiv and announced that such a meeting would take place in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15. All of this occurs against the backdrop of rising tension and diplomatic efforts that remain in the spotlight of the international community.