French President Emmanuel Macron has urged former U.S. President Donald Trump to take concrete steps against Russia, following Trump’s latest public criticism of Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters in Hanoi on Monday, Macron said he hoped Trump’s frustration with Moscow would result in firm action.
“President Trump realises that when President Putin said he was ready for peace, he lied,” Macron told journalists, according to AFP. “We have seen in recent hours Donald Trump express his anger—a form of impatience. I simply hope now that this translates into action.”
Trump had posted on social media a day earlier, calling the Russian president “crazy” and warning that any attempt to take over all of Ukraine “will lead to the downfall of Russia.”
Despite Putin’s repeated refusal to agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and its Western allies, the Trump administration has been hesitant to impose new sanctions on Russia. This reluctance has caused concern among European leaders who want a firmer U.S. stance.
The Kremlin has continued to reject peace proposals, escalating fighting in Ukraine and drawing sharp condemnation from many international leaders, following the latest barrage of attacks on Ukraine in which 12 people died, amounting to the worst since the full-scale invasion began, according to Kyiv.
European officials are increasingly frustrated by what they see as a lack of follow-through from Trump, even as his public rhetoric against Putin has grown more intense.
