Macron suggests Geneva for Putin-Zelensky peace talks

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Geneva could play host to a peace summit between Russian and Ukrainian leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, who look set to meet after separate talks with United States President Donald Trump, Le Monde reported. 

Speaking after he and other European leaders joined the Ukrainian president for high-stakes meetings at the White House on Monday, August 18, Macron said the announced Zelensky-Putin summit would be held in Europe.

"It will be [hosted by] a neutral country, maybe Switzerland – I'm pushing for Geneva – or another country," Le Monde quoted Macron as saying in an interview aired Tuesday on French news channel LCI. "The last time there were bilateral talks, they were held in Istanbul," he added, referring to the three rounds of lower-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Turkey between May and July.