French President Skeptical of Russian Peace Intentions
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to an exclusive interview with Emmanuel Macron on NBC News after a meeting in Washington.
“When I look at the situation and the facts, I don’t see President Putin very willing to get peace now,” Macron told the program host.
He stressed the importance of pressure from the United States, including the imposition of additional primary and secondary sanctions against Russia if there is no progress in bilateral or trilateral meetings between Putin, Zelenskyy, and other leaders.
One of the key aspects Macron insisted on was providing Ukraine with security guarantees to prevent any future attacks and ensure the implementation of peace agreements. He noted that any peace agreement without such guarantees would not be respected by Russia and would not bring real peace.
“If you make any peace deal without security guarantees, Russia will never respect its words, will never comply with its own commitments,” Macron said.
Macron also stressed the need to achieve a ceasefire, mentioning in an interview Russia's latest attack on Ukraine ahead of the leaders' meeting in the United States.
On the eve of the meeting, The Gaze reported that the Russian Federation had carried out deadly attacks in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia during the night, trying to push Zelensky to meet its demands.
The French President stated that discussions on territorial issues should take place exclusively with the participation of the Ukrainian president and people, without imposed territorial exchanges.
“Now, when we speak about territory, it’s for the Ukrainian president and for the Ukrainian people to discuss about it,” he said.
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