French President Emmanuel Macron said "Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians," underscoring that any settlement to the war must include Kyiv’s direct participation. The comment followed a phone call on 9 August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which the two discussed continuing international support for Ukraine more than three years after Russia’s invasion. Macron was joined on the call by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, signalling a coordinated European stance. He added that Europeans "will necessarily be part of the solution, as it concerns their security." The statement comes ahead of a 15 August meeting between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, their first scheduled face-to-face discussion since Trump announced plans to explore a new diplomatic initiative on the conflict. Macron’s intervention is aimed at ensuring that Kyiv and its European allies remain central to any talks that could shape post-war arrangements.