Volodymyr Zelensky endorsed Donald Trump’s drive to end the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible” in a surprise meeting organised by Emmanuel Macron ahead of the reopening of Notre-Dame.
The three men met on Saturday at the Élysée Palace to discuss their co-operation on “defence and offence” in Ukraine, Mr Trump said, adding that the world was “going a little crazy right now”.
The president-elect also met the Prince of Wales on the sidelines of the ceremony, in his first contact with the Royal family since leaving office in 2021.
They were due to meet formally later on Saturday night to discuss the “special relationship” between Britain and the US.
Donald Trump, the US president-elect, greets the Prince of Wales with a handshake and a tap on the shoulder – Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Mr Macron welcomed 40 world leaders to the reopening of Notre-Dame, five years after parts of the cathedral burned down in a fire.
The bells of the cathedral rang out hailing the completion of a £630 million reconstruction that Mr Macron said proved France could “achieve the impossible”.
“This cathedral is a happy metaphor for what a nation is and what the world should be,” he said.
After meeting Mr Trump, Mr Zelensky said the pair had agreed to pursue a “just peace”, repeating the US president-elect’s mantra of “peace through strength”.
He said: “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace.”
Mr Macron directs proceedings in the meeting of the three leaders at the Elysee Palace – Sarah Meyssonnier/AFP via Getty Images
The meeting was Mr Trump’s first with the Ukrainian president since the former’s election victory last month. He has previously pledged to end the war “in a day” and is working on a strategy to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia.
Mr Zelensky had previously suggested he opposed Mr Trump’s plan to reduce US military aid and begin negotiations with Vladimir Putin over territory in eastern Ukraine.
However, he has been keen to engage with the president-elect’s strategy since his election victory last month, and has called for Ukraine to be given additional Western protections under the “Nato umbrella” as part of a peace deal.
He has also suggested he would be open to ceding four eastern regions currently occupied by Russia in exchange for an end to the “hot phase” of the war.
On Saturday, Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Macron for organising the unexpected summit. Mr Trump described his invitation to the Élysée Palace as “a great honour” and talked about the “great relationship” between the two countries.
He said: “It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that.”
Mr Trump is reportedly considering establishing an 800-mile buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia, patrolled by European soldiers. The US would not contribute troops but could provide military aid to maintain peace.
Any deal would hinge on the future of eastern Ukrainian regions invaded by Putin’s forces in February 2022, where the war continues. Ukraine has since taken control of parts of the Kursk region, inside Russia.
Some Nato members, including the UK, are concerned that offering territorial concessions to Putin would further embolden Russia.
Mark Rutte, the new secretary-general of Nato, has said other member states will try to increase military support ahead of Mr Trump’s inauguration on Jan 20.
Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff met with senior members of the Trump transition team, including vice president-elect JD Vance, this week in Washington to discuss plans for an end to the war.
The ceremony to celebrate Notre-Dame’s reopening was transformed into a diplomatic event by Mr Macron’s beleaguered government, which this week lost a confidence vote in the national assembly.
Addressing the ceremony’s 1,500 invited guests, the French president thanked a “brotherhood… from all continents, from all religions, from all walks of life” who helped with the reconstruction.
The cathedral’s largest bell, cast in 1683 and named Emmanuel by Louis XIV, rang out to mark the beginning of the service.
“Once again, the bells of Notre-Dame have sounded,” Mr Macron said, adding: “Notre-Dame de Paris has been returned to you. You have made this possible.”
Prince’s charm offensive
The Prince of Wales was due to hold a 30-minute meeting with Mr Trump after being drafted in to lead a charm offensive to highlight the importance of the “special relationship”.
The pair last met in June 2019, when Elizabeth II hosted Mr Trump on a state visit during his first presidency.
Saturday’s event marked the president-elect’s first meeting with a member of the Royal family and his first foreign trip since his election victory on Nov 5.
During his presidential campaign, he promised to subject all foreign imports to tariffs that experts say would damage the UK economy.
The decision to entrust the Prince with such a politically sensitive moment was deemed further evidence of his evolution as a global statesman, and a significant moment for him personally as a flag-bearer for the UK.
He had also been due to hold a private meeting with Mrs Biden, but delays to his travel caused by Storm Darragh forced it to be abandoned. Instead, they chatted informally on the sidelines of the ceremony.
The travel delay also meant that the meeting with Mr Trump was pushed back until after the ceremony, rather than before as originally planned.
