French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised interview on 19 August that he is pushing for Geneva to host the first face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Macron, speaking after talks in Washington that included U.S. President Donald Trump and other European leaders, said the summit should take place in a “neutral country, maybe Switzerland— I’m pushing for Geneva — or another country.” The French leader argued that Switzerland’s neutrality and its role as host to numerous international organisations make Geneva an appropriate venue. He acknowledged the legal complication posed by the International Criminal Court’s 2023 arrest warrant for Putin; Switzerland is obliged to enforce such warrants but has indicated it would grant the Russian leader temporary immunity for peace negotiations. Macron said, “peace negotiations must move forward,” even if exceptions are required. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested the bilateral meeting could be held within the next two weeks, although details remain under discussion. Macron added that French and British officials will meet U.S. counterparts this week to coordinate security guarantees for Ukraine agreed in Washington and to map out logistical preparations for the summit. If Geneva proves unworkable, other locations under consideration include Budapest and Vatican City. Hungary offers stronger assurances that Putin would not face arrest, while the Vatican has expressed interest through Pope Leon XIV in mediating the talks. The last round of lower-level Russia-Ukraine negotiations took place in Istanbul in 2022.