President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met with President-elect Donald J. Trump in Paris on Saturday, the first face-to-face encounter between the two since Mr. Trump won the U.S. presidential election last month after claiming that he would end the war in 24 hours.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky were brought together by President Emmanuel Macron of France at the Élysée Palace on Saturday evening, ahead of the Notre-Dame Cathedral’s grand reopening. It was a diplomatic coup for the French leader, who is otherwise facing a political crisis at home after his government fell this week.
While it was not immediately clear what was said in the meeting, Mr. Zelensky was expected to press Ukraine’s case to Mr. Trump, amid concerns that his pledge to end the war quickly could leave Kyiv sacrificing substantial territory to Russia and lacking the security guarantees needed to deter future aggression.
Mr. Zelensky said afterward that it had been a “productive meeting” and he thanked Mr. Trump for his determination and Mr. Macron for organizing the encounter.
“We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible,” the Ukrainian leader said in a statement, adding that they had “agreed to continue working together.”
The meeting appeared to be part of a broader diplomatic push by Ukraine to engage with Mr. Trump’s incoming administration and influence its plans to end to the war with Russia in a way that aligns as much as possible with Kyiv’s interests. Earlier this week, a delegation of senior Ukrainian officials traveled to the United States to meet with several of Mr. Trump’s key appointees.
