Buenos Aires, September 22, 2026. The Argentine press has taken note of two different faces of Emmanuel Macron from the New York week, which are difficult to reconcile: that of the energy mediator and that of the contested head of state in his own country. In an EFE dispatch published on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and picked up by Infobae, the French president appears to be in the midst of diplomatic mobilization as Zelensky and he are in New York for the UN General Assembly. Received by Macron, the Ukrainian president fears "a new campaign of massive Russian bombings" against his energy system as winter approaches. Macron has promised him aid in air defense and energy, with "the signing of a contract for the supply of radars" and the delivery of interceptors intended to shoot down Russian missiles. On X, he wrote that France "will be by Ukraine's side to face the winter," with the G7 Energy group mobilizing for Kiev.

The article specifies that Macron discussed this support with Donald Trump, as well as a possible energy truce between Russia and Ukraine and a hypothetical halt to strikes in the Black Sea — the same architecture as the moratorium announced by the French, but seen from Kiev: a truce that would first protect the Ukrainian energy network, in exchange for Western military deliveries. This, Macron insisted according to Infobae, "will be a key issue in the negotiations" leading to a just and lasting peace.

In the same week, Perfil devoted its Ronda de Corresponsales to a very different Macron: the one of police reform, adopted by the National Assembly "like a closed book, without debate," according to journalist Juan Luis Francia. He recalls a precedent from 2017 that, he says, "multiplied the deaths in France," and quotes Deputy Mathilde Panot: since 2005, 162 people have died at the hands of the French police. The most contested point, Francia emphasizes, is the presumption of legitimacy granted to police officers in the event of a fatal shooting.

For the Argentine press, these two accounts coexist without responding to each other: the Macron who negotiates the terms of an energy ceasefire in New York is never confronted, in the same column, with the one whose internal legitimacy is publicly questioned by his own opposition.

Brussels, September 22, 2026. The Belgian press first focuses on the oil aspect of the meeting held on Monday in New York between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. According to La Libre, the French president proposed "several initiatives" to try to curb the surge in oil prices, including a resolution in the Security Council aimed at guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global hydrocarbon trade passes. A diplomatic source specified that Paris wants to "work with the Americans and its partners" on this text, without a global agreement being necessary to "allow more container ships and tankers to pass".

The same meeting also discussed the protection of Saudi oil infrastructure targeted by Houthi rebels: France says it is ready for "securing", in an approach it itself describes as "strictly defensive". For Belgian diplomacy, which has been attentive to the energy file since the gas price surge in 2022, this abundance of verbal precautions - "strictly defensive", "without a global agreement" - signals Paris' caution not to appear as a party to an escalation in the Middle East.

On the Ukrainian aspect, VRT NWS reports a "very constructive" meeting between Macron and Trump, and a separate exchange, described as "diepgaand" (in-depth), between Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky. The French president promised that France will remain by Ukraine's side this winter and committed to strengthening Ukraine's air defense - radars and interceptors - to counter Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Zelensky, who arrived in New York, is set to meet Trump on Tuesday afternoon, a source close to the file told AFP, as Washington showcases the relaunch of its mediation efforts in a war that has been ongoing since 2022.

London, Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The British press is covering the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump less as a diplomatic exercise than as a signal about fuel prices. According to The Independent, Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in New York with his wife Olena Zelenska for the UN General Assembly, where Ukraine wants to secure a freeze on strikes against the energy sector and a new agreement on drones. Zelensky is set to meet Trump on Tuesday to discuss a limited ceasefire protecting heating and electricity ahead of winter. Macron, who also arrived in New York, met with Zelensky on Monday evening and stressed the urgency of stopping strikes against energy infrastructure, as millions of Ukrainian families risk being left without heating or electricity.

The underlying theme retained by London, however, remains oil. Trump warned that Russia had "unfortunately lost control" of its oil industry, urging Kiev to stop its long-range strikes on refineries. "A large number of their diesel refineries have been destroyed and are, at the very least, temporarily out of service," he wrote on Truth Social. A senior White House official indicated, according to the Financial Times cited by The Independent, that Trump fears these strikes will exacerbate a global diesel shortage and drive up prices.

Helsinki, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The Finnish press is covering the opening of the UN General Assembly from the angle of fuel prices rather than diplomatic protocol. Three titles, Iltalehti, MTV Uutiset, and YLE Uutiset, converge on the same mechanism: Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries have driven up the global diesel price, and it is these prices that are now pushing Donald Trump to intervene directly.

According to the Financial Times, cited by MTV Uutiset, Trump called Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday to pressure him to stop the strikes against Russian refineries. A high-ranking Ukrainian official present during the call summarized the message in three words: "diesel, diesel, diesel". The White House has not commented on this information. Zelensky confirms an "important" exchange on energy security, without confirming pressure to cease the attacks. The two leaders are set to meet this week in New York.

Iltalehti notes that Trump himself exposed the problem on Truth Social: Russia would have "completely lost control" of its diesel industry due to Ukrainian drones, in a war he describes as "ridiculous and endless", recalling that 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, die every month. The average diesel price in the United States exceeded $6 per gallon on September 11 and now surpasses $6.5 according to the AAA, a politically sensitive subject for Trump and the Republican camp.

Paris, September 22, 2026. Emmanuel Macron walked across Manhattan on foot on Monday, September 21, to meet Donald Trump at the Trump Tower, where the two leaders exchanged for about half an hour on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. "We had a very good discussion. It was very constructive," the French president assured journalists, referring to a conversation about the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Red Sea, and the surge in oil prices. The French press is mainly reading this meeting in light of a domestic urgency: prices at the pump.

On Sunday, September 20, diesel was approaching 2.41 euros on average, compared to 2.18 euros for SP95-E10 and 2.28 euros for SP98, levels that are fueling social unrest already marked by blockages of oil depots led by fishermen in the Mediterranean. The government fears the resurgence of a movement like the Yellow Vests, in the midst of a presidential campaign. Sébastien Lecornu held two ministerial meetings on Monday, one on oil and gas supplies, the other on supporting the French in the face of rising prices.

It is in this context that Macron wrote to Ursula von der Leyen on September 18 to demand a relaxation of European rules in order to produce "quickly 20% more fuel," according to a letter consulted by BFMTV. He mentions a contraction of the global oil supply, stocks down by "more than 500 million barrels," and the "targeting of Russian and Middle Eastern energy infrastructure."

Vilnius, September 22, 2026. On the eve of the United Nations summit, the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the Trump Tower in New York is holding Lithuanian attention less for its diplomatic backdrop than for what the mentioned moratorium would leave open. According to Reuters, cited by 15min, Macron described the conversation as "very good" and "very constructive", stating that the two leaders discussed an initiative to establish a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities, on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides. He specified that he wants to raise the issue with Zelensky on the same day and hopes for progress during the UN summit.

But the Lithuanian press is placing this moratorium alongside another event from the weekend: Ukraine's first use of the "Pelican" ballistic missile (FP-7), announced on Sunday by Zelensky on Telegram, against a refinery and a logistics site in the Moscow region. Russian authorities confirmed damage to the Kapotnia refinery and two deaths near Sofyino; Zelensky mentioned "billions of dollars that fuel the Russian war machine". The contrast is clear: Paris is seeking to freeze strikes on energy at a time when Kyiv has just expanded its strike range.

The other aspect that Vilnius is focusing on is the condition set by Zelensky. When asked by CBC News, relayed by RBC-Ukraina, he said he could consider a meeting with Putin only if it has "practical scope", recalling that he still sees him as an enemy whose goal remains to occupy Ukraine if it is not strong enough or lacks security guarantees. On the Russian side, Peskov is mentioning the hope of a new trilateral meeting with the United States, and Lavrov is stating that Moscow is ready for a new stage of negotiations, without lifting its demands.

Riga, September 22, 2026. For the Latvian press, the opening of the United Nations General Assembly boils down to a series of bilateral meetings in New York, including the highly anticipated one between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. The Jauns and TVNET portals, both picking up the same dispatch from the Ukrainian agency Ukrainska Pravda, report that the Ukrainian president is set to meet his American counterpart on Tuesday, September 22, after arriving in the United States on Monday evening. According to this source, the agreement in principle for this meeting was sealed as early as Sunday, September 20, during a phone call between the two leaders.

The Latvian coverage, sober and devoid of commentary, makes no mention of the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump at the Trump Tower the previous day, nor the French proposal for a moratorium on strikes against Ukrainian and Russian energy infrastructure. The focus is on the logistical schedule: who arrives when, who meets whom, and in what order. This reading reflects a distinctly transatlantic focus on the crisis: for Riga, a NATO member directly exposed to the Russian border, what matters most is whether Washington maintains its direct commitment to Kiev, rather than diplomatic initiatives from Western Europe.

By narrowing its attention to this single meeting, the Latvian press implicitly places Ukraine's fate in the bilateral relationship between Kiev and Washington, leaving in the shadows the role Paris is trying to play as an intermediary between Europeans and the Trump administration. No details are given about the expected content of Tuesday's exchanges, nor about the position Zelensky might take on a potential halt to energy strikes. The very format of the dispatch, brief and without analysis, suggests a straightforward reporting of the facts: the two Latvian titles are content to relay the Ukrainian information without attempting to corroborate it locally or put it into perspective with the regional Baltic issues, which are nonetheless directly affected by the outcome of the war.

Bucharest, September 22, 2026. On the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly, the Romanian press first notes a message from Donald Trump published on Monday on social media: "Unfortunately, Russia has lost control of its diesel industry due to the war with Ukraine. A large number of their diesel refineries have been destroyed and are, at least temporarily, out of service." The American president adds that "this ridiculous and endless war with Ukraine must stop" - a statement published on the eve of his scheduled meeting with Volodimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Zelensky's journey to New York is also of interest to Digi24 and Mediafax: the Ukrainian president made a technical stop at Shannon Airport in Ireland for refueling, and briefly met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was returning from a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. A source described the exchange as "informal"; neither the content nor the exact duration were specified.

This meeting comes less than a month after Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow, where he met with high-ranking Russian intelligence officials. According to Reuters, the discussions partly concerned Ukraine; The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe urged Russian officials to reach an agreement before their position deteriorates further. Trump had downplayed this trip, calling it "rather routine".

Stockholm, September 22, 2026. The Swedish press first notes an unusual admission by Donald Trump. On Truth Social, on Monday, the American president wrote that "Russia has unfortunately lost control of its diesel industry due to its war against Ukraine", adding that a large number of Russian refineries have been targeted by strikes and are, at least temporarily, out of service. For Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet, which pick up the same dispatch, the interest of the phrase lies in what it omits: Trump avoids linking the surge in fuel prices to the war he himself waged against Iran alongside Israel, a war that has blocked part of the oil and gas transport in the Strait of Hormuz. However, it is indeed this blockade, as much as the Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, that weighs on Swedish pumps.

According to the Financial Times, cited by Swedish titles, Trump asked Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday by phone to cease attacks on Russian refineries, a request already made publicly a few weeks earlier. Zelensky responded on X that a "dialogue" is ongoing with Washington, posing a condition: that the energy sector, critical infrastructure, and Ukraine's food exports cease to be Russian targets, which would lead to "corresponding de-escalation" on the Ukrainian side. "Solutions are possible", he added, specifying that the issue will be discussed with Kiev's allies at the UN General Assembly this week.

Kyiv, September 22, 2026. On the eve of its own speech before the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian diplomacy is setting its conditions for the energy moratorium discussed in New York between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump.

On Monday, September 21, the French President met with Donald Trump at the Trump Tower before meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky the same evening at the residence of the French Permanent Representative to the UN. According to Macron, the exchange with Washington primarily focused on missile interceptors, which he described as a "key point from a defensive perspective," before discussing possible paths for a mutual moratorium on strikes targeting Ukrainian and Russian energy infrastructure. On X, he wrote that he wants to "unite our forces to obtain a moratorium on strikes against energy and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine."

On the Ukrainian side, adherence remains conditional. Zelensky repeats that Russia must first stop targeting Ukraine's energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports before Kyiv takes corresponding measures. "Solutions are possible," he wrote, while warning that the agreement must remain reliable and durable, and not just a temporary reprieve for Russian oil refineries. This caution follows reports from Axios that Trump had asked Kyiv to stop its own strikes against Russian refineries, while the American President claims on Truth Social that Moscow has "lost control" of its refining industry.

The United States, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. On the eve of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, the American press is not primarily focusing on the French diplomatic initiative, but rather on the long-standing tension between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky over the conduct of the war. According to Bloomberg, the Ukrainian relationship with the United States has experienced new tensions in recent days, with Trump demanding that Zelenskyy cease targeting oil refineries in Russia. This American requirement, prior to and distinct from the moratorium proposal put forward by Emmanuel Macron, sheds a different light on the New York summit: while Paris seeks to stop strikes on both sides of the front, Washington seems to want to contain those of Kiev, without a reciprocal commitment on Russian infrastructure targeting Ukraine.

The United States is set to see Donald Trump meet with Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, the same day the Ukrainian president arrived in New York for the General Assembly. The meeting comes after a revealing logistical contact: according to The Hill, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Zelensky briefly crossed paths on Monday at Shannon Airport in Ireland, while their respective planes were being refueled on the way to the United States. A source close to the meeting, who was not identified, confirmed the exchange without detailing its content or specifying whether the issue of energy strikes was discussed.