French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday that reducing aid to Ukraine would force Kyiv into an "unjust peace" and risk another war. Macron posted the statement on social media as the United States continues to mediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the conflict that began with Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion.
Macron stated that countries attempting to limit aid to Ukraine want to impose an "unjust peace" on the nation and, by extension, all of Europe. He described this approach as the spirit of defeat, adding, "That is a recipe for another war. That cannot be France's position."
The French leader emphasized that "Europe must take full part" in the efforts to achieve a "fair and lasting peace" in Ukraine. He noted that what occurs in Ukraine concerns Europe directly, stating, "Helping Ukraine defend itself is protecting France and the French."
Macron argued that Ukraine's allies must clearly set out their postwar vision to Russia, including detailing what they expect from the United States regarding Europe's long-term security. He expressed his belief that "Vladimir Putin does not want to negotiate" and is instead attempting to break Ukraine by increasing drone and missile strikes against civilians and energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Consequently, Macron said France must maintain financial backing to help Ukraine protect its population, power plants, and grids.
In separate developments reported on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Washington has suggested Kyiv cede land to Moscow in exchange for Ukraine joining NATO. These comments followed meetings on Thursday between US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky separately, following two days of talks in Abu Dhabi that ended without a breakthrough.
Negotiations did result in agreements that European countries will join future talks to end the war. On Friday in Dublin, Europe selected five countries—France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Poland—to send representatives to these discussions.
