“From my point of view, it’s a question of knowing whether President Trump is ready to put forward much stronger sanctions against Russia” if Moscow doesn’t respect a U.S.-proposed ceasefire, Macron said during a press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Macron also suggested that Trump could play a key role in de-escalating the sudden conflict between Israel and Iran.
“On this too, the United States of America has a real ability to bring everyone back to the table,” Macron said.
The French president suggested that “Israel’s dependence on American arms and munitions gives [the U.S.] a capacity to negotiate.”
After Israel on Thursday launched a strike on Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership, warning the nation could develop a nuclear bomb imminently, Iran fired missiles back on Friday and Saturday, some of which struck in Israel.
Further waves of attacks followed; Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded, while the Iranian counterattacks killed at least three people in Israel and wounded around 70, according to Israeli health authorities.
The escalation between the two longtime regional rivals has thrown into question Trump’s quest to strike a new nuclear deal with Iran. Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote on X Saturday morning that talks originally scheduled for Sunday between the U.S. and Israel in Oman would no longer go forward.