PARIS, France, May 9 (V7N) - French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday that he welcomed Donald Trump's call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, following discussions with the US president.  

"I spoke several times last night with @POTUS. I commend his strong call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire," Macron stated on X (formerly Twitter). "We must all work towards this goal without delay, false pretences, or dilatory tactics."  

Donald Trump had called for a 30-day ceasefire on his Truth Social network on Thursday after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.  

Macron emphasized that Ukraine had already expressed support for a ceasefire "nearly two months ago," adding, "I now expect Russia to do the same."  

He further warned that if the Kremlin fails to reciprocate, "we are ready to respond firmly, together with all Europeans and in close coordination with the United States."  

Earlier on Friday, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store revealed that a coalition of northern European nations and Britain also supported the US proposal. "We need a ceasefire, an unconditional ceasefire, first," he told reporters in Oslo during a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a military coalition comprising the UK and other northern European countries.

END/WD/RH/