Macron, Trump discuss securing air defense systems for Ukraine ahead of UN General Assembly
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French President Emmanuel Macron said he discussed air defense for Ukraine and a possible Kyiv-Moscow energy infrastructure truce with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 21.
"We had a lengthy discussion on Ukraine and Russia, the need to help our Ukrainian friends more quickly and more strongly in terms of interceptors, because that is the key issue from a defensive point of view," Macron told reporters.
The meeting was held at the Trump Tower in New York City on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
According to Macron, the meeting was "very constructive."
"We had a very good discussion," Macron said. "There was a great deal of openness, and we were able to go into detail on these two conflicts, which are obviously important for peace in the world and for our security, and which have a direct impact on the purchasing power of the French people.”
Macron's statement comes as Ukraine continues to be battered by Russian strikes as Moscow looks to take advantage of Kyiv's shortage of air defense systems and interceptor missiles.
On Sept. 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian forces had launched over 2,000 attack drones at Ukraine over the past week. In August, at least 372 civilians were killed, and 2,349 were injured in Ukraine, the second-highest monthly figure in 2026, after July (448 killed; 2,675 injured), according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Throughout the summer of 2026, Zelensky consistently called on Western allies to bolster Ukrainian defense systems. Trump has largely demurred, arguing that the U.S. "needs missiles too", amid the war with Iran.
However, on Sept. 18, the U.S. State Department said that it had approved a possible $2.7 billion sale of air defense systems and related equipment and services to Ukraine. The package includes S-300 Clone and GAM-67 missiles, radar systems for countering drones, range-extended laser-guided air defense systems, counter-drone radars, and mobile launcher modification kits, all of which were requested by Kyiv.
According to Reuters, Macron and Trump also discussed establishing a ceasefire of energy infrastructure strikes between Russia and Ukraine.
On Sept. 13, Trump called on Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russia's diesel fuel infrastructure, claiming the attacks were contributing to a global diesel shortage as his war against Iran disrupts fuel supplies worldwide.
Trump then falsely claimed that Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt strikes on "energy targets," as fuel prices continue to rise worldwide on Sept. 14.
Ahead of his own discussion with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said their upcoming meeting "could change a lot," regarding Ukraine's current diplomatic positioning.
