French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone call on 15 August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to an Élysée Palace statement. During the conversation, the two leaders agreed to meet in person after the bilateral talks scheduled later today in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Élysée said no date or location has yet been fixed for the Macron-Zelenskiy meeting, but described the planned encounter as coming at a “useful moment” following the Trump-Putin discussion, which is expected to focus on options for ending Russia’s 3½-year war in Ukraine. Macron has remained in close contact with Kyiv as European governments look to ensure Ukraine’s interests are represented in any prospective negotiations.