According to Reuters reporting on September 21st local time, French President Macron said that he had discussed with U.S. President Trump a plan to prompt Russia and Ukraine to temporarily suspend attacks on each other’s energy facilities.
After the meeting, Macron told reporters that his discussions with Trump were “very good” and “very constructive” regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both parties also discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, particularly increasing the supply of interception equipment.
"We held lengthy discussions about Ukraine and Russia, needing to help Ukraine faster and more effectively with equipment interception because from a defensive perspective, this is the key issue." Macron said.
Macron did not disclose the specific details of the "energy ceasefire" plan. He only mentioned that both sides discussed the idea of stopping attacks in the energy sector. He also said that he would bring this issue up during a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy later in the day, hoping to make progress during the United Nations General Assembly.
Previously, Trump stated on September 14 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure. However, at that time, neither Russia nor Ukraine confirmed that a formal agreement had been reached. The Kremlin later described this proposal as “a very good idea,” while the Ukrainian side indicated that it was only willing to suspend its actions if it received a reliable guarantee from Russia that attacks would also cease.
