**Zelensky Praises Productive Meeting with Trump, Macron**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on December 7. The meeting took place ahead of the January inauguration of Trump.
According to a social media post by Zelensky, the meeting was “productive and meaningful.” He praised Trump for his resolve and thanked him for the meeting. Zelensky also extended gratitude to Macron for organizing the meeting.
The three leaders discussed various topics, including the situation on the ground in Ukraine, as well as their people. Zelensky emphasized that a just peace is possible through strength.
This was the first in-person encounter between Trump and Zelensky since Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November. The meeting was previously unannounced.
**Zelensky Echoes Ukrainian Officials’ Sentiments**
Ukrainian officials have urged Trump to maintain support for Ukraine and adopt a “peace through strength” approach in dealings with Russia. Zelensky echoed these sentiments in his statement following the meeting, saying that “peace through strength is possible.”
**Other Developments**
* Syrian rebels claim to have reached the suburbs of Damascus on December 7, as their rapid offensive against pro-government forces continues.
* President Zelensky will attend the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on December 7.
* Russian forces attacked Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on December 6, killing two people and injuring 17, including a six-year-old boy.
* Canada unveiled a renewed Arctic strategy on December 6, aiming to bolster regional security in response to growing threats from Russia.
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