Zelensky meets with Trump in Paris as he tries to build support for Ukraine

Paris: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday strode into the lys e Palace here to meet with President elect Donald Trump, marking their...

Paris: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday strode into the Élysée Palace here to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, marking their first in-person discussion since Trump secured the White House while promoting an isolationist agenda that could limit aid to the embattled country.

French President Emmanuel Macron brokered the meeting on the sidelines of the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral, where world leaders gathered to celebrate the cultural icon. Trump’s attendance underscored how he is already redefining US foreign policy more than a month before he officially takes office.

Zelensky tweeted that the meeting, which was about 30 minutes long, was "good and productive.” He said the leaders agreed to continue to work together and stay in contact.

"We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way,” Zelensky wrote. "We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace.”

The meeting at the Élysée Palace marked an opportunity for Macron to position himself as Europe’s top Trump influencer as Western leaders fret that the president-elect could diminish key alliances as Russia makes critical gains in Ukraine.