"The next few days will be decisive" - Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that if Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not agree to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by Monday, it will be another demonstration that Putin "played and bullied" US President Donald Trump. Macron said this at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Le Monde reports.

Macron recalled that on 18 August, three days after the summit in Anchorage (USA), Putin promised Trump to hold a bilateral meeting with Zelensky.

If this does not happen by Monday, it will again mean that Putin played and bullied Trump, and such an act cannot go unanswered," Macron said.

The French president also referred to Russia's constant massive attacks on Ukraine, pointing out the contradictions between Moscow's statements of readiness for peace and reality.

'We can clearly see the gap between Putin's positions at international summits or talks with other leaders and the reality on the ground, which shows how insincere he is,' he said.

Macron said Europe was ready to impose additional sanctions against Russian Federation and urged the United States to increase pressure on the Kremlin to force the Russians back to the negotiating table.

'When we say that there is an ogre at the gates of Europe, I believe it reflects the feelings of Georgians, Ukrainians and many other peoples - a man who is moving towards authoritarianism and revisionist imperialism,' the French leader stressed.

He added that "the next few days will be decisive."