Macron says he discussed Ukraine-Russia energy truce ideas with Trump

NEW YORK, Sept 21 - France's President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he had discussed with US President Donald Trump initiatives aimed at securing a moratorium between Ukraine and Russia on attacks linked to the energy sector.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Macron said the two leaders had held a "very good" and "very constructive" discussion on the conflict and agreed on the need to help Kyiv strengthen its defences."We had a lengthy discussion on Ukraine and Russia, the need to help our Ukrainian friends more quickly and more strongly in terms of interceptors, because that is the key issue from a defensive point of view," Macron said.Without going into details, Macron said the two had also focused on the idea of halting strikes on the energy sector, a subject he would bring up when he meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later on Monday.The French leader said helping Ukraine's energy system remained a priority as the war continued to affect security across Europe and he hoped progress could be made during the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations. REUTERS