Hot Mic Catches Macron and Zelensky Discussing Trump Strategy in Explosive Private Exchange

A brief hot mic exchange between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew attention during the G7 Summit, offering a glimpse into the leaders’ behind-the-scenes scheduling talks.

The conversation appeared to center on Zelensky’s plans while in France, including the possibility of a meeting with President Donald Trump. After greeting one another, Macron asked the Ukrainian leader how long he expected to remain at the summit.

Zelensky seemed to indicate that he could stay only one more full day before leaving for Brussels on Thursday, suggesting a tightly packed diplomatic schedule.

Macron then appeared to ask whether a bilateral meeting was being arranged, though part of his remark was difficult to make out.

Zelensky responded by seeking clarification: “With President Trump?”

While the exchange was brief, it underscored the fast-moving diplomacy surrounding the summit and the importance of high-level meetings taking place on its sidelines.

Tantalizingly, the chiefs of state spoke quietly for over twenty seconds before Macron rejoined more audibly, ‘Okay, we’ll arrange that.’

The two may have been trying to avoid being overheard. 

Then Macron mentioned an upcoming G7 meeting before he and Zelensky again lowered their voices. Both leaders met with the President later on Tuesday.

Trump has been unfriendlier to Zelensky than other G7 leaders, even dramatically booting him from the White House after a tumultuous meeting last February. 

European leaders have been uncomfortable with Trump’s volatile second-term foreign policy.

Zelensky continues to seek the support of G7 nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US) against Russia.

Ukraine and Russia continue to exchange drone and missile strikes over four years after their war began. 

The Ukrainian touted a ‘multilateral meeting’ with G7 leaders in a post on X on Tuesday afternoon local time, thanking other heads of state for their participation.

‘Priorities are clear,’ Zelensky wrote. ‘More air defense missiles along with licenses to produce them, winter support package, and cranking up pressure on Russia. Importantly, the US is ready to provide backstop across these lines of effort.’ 

Trump and Zelensky spoke during the meeting on Tuesday, and the US President said afterward that he thought Russia should strike a deal with Ukraine. 

Zelensky posted pictures on Tuesday of his conversation with Trump, showing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looking on.

‘It is always important to coordinate positions,’ Zelensky posted alongside the photos. 

Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that Trump’s and Zelensky’s attitudes ‘suggested calm, responsible, and agreeable discussion,’ while Rubio appeared to take ‘the role of ringmaster or referee.’ 

She compared their Tuesday conversation to their conversation in the Vatican last April before Pope Francis’s funeral, saying that in both cases they sat ‘man to man, prop-less apart from two simple chairs that created a look of equal status.’

Trump indicated he would speak with Zelensky again during the G7 summit.

It was the first time the pair met face to face since Trump booted Zelensky from the White House last February