‘Don’t come’: Trump cancelled Zelensky’s Washington visit until Macron stepped in to save the day
World: US President Donald Trump on February 26 confirmed that Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday to sign a minerals agreement and discuss other matters.
US President Donald Trump was initially unwilling to host Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Washington, but later changed his stance after French President Emmanuel Macron intervened, according to French media outlet BFMTV.
Citing a diplomatic source, BFMTV reported that Trump’s team informed Ukraine on Wednesday that the scheduled meeting was being cancelled. This led to Zelensky reaching out to Macron for help.
'Don't come, all meetings have been cancelled'
"Zelensky was supposed to come to Washington yesterday, but someone from the Trump administration told him, 'Listen, there's no point in chartering a plane, don't come, all meetings have been cancelled, President Trump won't receive you.' This caused panic in Kiev," BFMTV reporter Patrick Sauce was quoted as saying by TASS.
In response, Zelensky reportedly called Macron multiple times, urging him to convince Trump to reconsider, as he had hoped to finalise an agreement on Ukrainian minerals during his visit. He also added that the meeting "would have had strong symbolic significance."
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A French diplomatic source told BFMTV that Macron then contacted the White House and personally vouched for Zelensky, ultimately persuading Trump to reinstate the meeting.
Trump on February 26 confirmed that Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday to sign a minerals agreement and discuss other matters.
Trump’s stance on Zelensky appeared to shift following his meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday (Feb 27). When asked if he would apologise for previously calling Zelensky a "dictator," Trump responded that he could not recall making such a statement. He also described the Ukrainian president as "very brave."
Also read: Trump insists Putin will honour peace deal with Ukraine, refuses to commit to US forces on ground
The meeting with Starmer focused on efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, with Trump saying that peace negotiations were "moving along pretty rapidly."
These discussions come in the wake of the Trump administration’s surprise decision to engage in high-level talks with Moscow for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
Trump had earlier appeared to place blame on Zelensky for the conflict, criticising him for not initiating peace talks sooner.
"You've been there for three years. You should have ended it... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal," Trump had said last Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies)
