Macron Says New York Talks With Trump Were Constructive

French President Emmanuel Macron said he held very constructive talks with US President Donald Trump in New York on September 21, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, covering Ukraine, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Macron said the two leaders discussed diplomatic solutions to ease shipping through the Strait of Hormuz without first requiring a comprehensive agreement. Several options would be worked on in the coming hours that could allow more container ships and oil tankers to pass without an overall settlement in place, Macron told reporters afterwards. Traffic through the strait remains heavily restricted by Iran, while a US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in force. A long part of the conversation concerned Ukraine. Macron said he urged Trump to accelerate deliveries of missile interceptors to Kyiv, calling them the key defensive measure. The French president said Trump was receptive and that the two were able to go into detail on Ukraine and the Red Sea, conflicts he described as important for peace in the world and for security.