Exclusive: Zelensky, Trump, Macron hold behind-the-scenes meeting at G7 summit as Ukraine pushes peace talks

Editor's note: This story is being updated with additional details.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France on June 16, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The meeting marked the first encounter between Zelensky and Trump in over four months and lasted around 30 minutes, as Kyiv seeks to revive stalled peace talks.

The three leaders later took part in a joint working session with other G7 leaders, where Russia's war against Ukraine was a central topic of discussion.

Zelensky said air defense support had been agreed upon among G7 partners, adding that all members of the group would work to strengthen Ukraine's protection.

"We talked about both the systems and the missiles," he told reporters.

He also said he had raised the issue directly with Trump, expressing hope that Ukraine could secure licenses to produce relevant anti-ballistic systems and missiles.

The U.S. president appeared to view the proposal positively, Zelensky added.

"We had a good meeting. I'm meeting (Zelensky) later today," Trump told reporters after the encounter, adding that Russia "should make a deal."

The meeting came as Ukraine intensifies pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with Zelensky — a face-to-face encounter that would be the first between the two leaders since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Zelensky has long argued that only Putin has the authority to end the war.

U.S.-mediated peace talks have effectively been frozen since February. Since then, Washington's attention has shifted toward its war with Iran, which both Ukrainian and U.S. officials say has become the main reason talks lost momentum.

Zelensky said on June 15 that he hoped Trump would help facilitate a trilateral meeting involving himself and Putin in the United States.

"If Russia refuses this chance too, pressure will be needed," he said.

The Kremlin has consistently avoided meeting with Zelensky in a neutral country, instead insisting that the Ukrainian president travel to Moscow — a proposal Kyiv views as an attempt to avoid meaningful negotiations altogether.

Zelensky has repeatedly called for direct talks with Putin. Just a week ago, he invited the Russian leader to meet in a neutral country to discuss the framework of a peace agreement, proposing that Ukraine observe a full ceasefire during talks.

Putin later said he "sees no point in meeting with Zelensky."

Trump has previously signaled support for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine as a pathway toward ending the full-scale war.