ISTANBUL 

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he hoped his US counterpart Donald Trump's “anger” towards Russia would “translate into action.”

“We have seen in the past few hours, once again, the anger of Donald Trump expressed, along with a form of impatience. I now simply hope that this will translate into action,” Macron told reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam, for the first leg of a tour of Southeast Asia, which also includes stops in Indonesia and Singapore.

Macron’s reaction came hours after Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin over recent airstrikes on Ukraine, calling him “crazy” and warning of possible sanctions.

“I hope that the indignation he expressed—which we share—will result in the United States of America, together with the Europeans, being capable of threatening a completely different and much more massive sanctions package, one that could dissuade Russia and finally bring an end to the conflict,” the French president added.

He reiterated the need to obtain a lasting ceasefire “as quickly as possible,” claiming that Putin had “lied” to the Europeans and the Americans about wanting peace.

“I believe that President Trump realizes when President Putin, on the phone, told him he was ready for peace or when President Putin told his envoys that he was ready for peace, he was lying,” Macron said.

Asked about the possible US tariffs on EU imports, Macron said it was “not the right approach” to solve trade imbalances and would “hamper” investments and the economy.

“We believe that when trade imbalances exist, they are not resolved through tariffs. They should be addressed by redirecting trade, becoming more competitive but never through tariffs,” he added.

“The discussions are progressing well. I believe there was a good exchange between President Trump and President von der Leyen, and I hope we can continue along this path, which should lead us toward returning to the lowest possible tariffs, allowing for the most fruitful exchanges possible,” Macron said.

Trump decided to postpone the imposition of a 50% tariff on EU imports until July 9, following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

He earlier threatened to enact the tariffs beginning June 1, citing what he described as unfair trade practices harming US companies.