The war between Russia and Ukraine needs to be ended by a drive for peace, but French President Emmanuel Macron does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to do so.
With NBC 7, you can watch San Diego News for free, anywhere, at any time.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker following a high-stakes White House meeting on Monday, Macron stated, “When I look at the situation and the facts, I don’t see President Putin very willing to get peace now.”But maybe I’m being too negative.
He added that you should take your president’s optimism seriously. Therefore, if he thinks he can close a deal, that’s fantastic news, and we need to do all in our power to secure a good offer.
Macron maintained that pressure, including the imposition of additional sanctions, must be applied by the US on Russia and Putin in order to find a solution.
Macron stated, “Yes, we have to increase the sanctions, secondary and primary sanctions, if there is no progress in the bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin that Trump announced, if a trilateral meeting fails, or if the Russians do not comply with this approach.”
Russia is the aggressor in this case. We cannot just establish an analogous situation between Russia and Ukraine because there is a nation that has chosen to murder people, kidnap children, and reject a ceasefire and peace.
Following his meeting with President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and leading European leaders, Macron stated that Ukraine needs security guarantees to stop any further Russian strikes that might extend the current conflict or spark a new one.
According to Macron, Russia would never keep its word or fulfill its own pledges if a peace agreement is reached without security assurances.
The French president said it was encouraging that Trump mentioned that he had agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine, which was one of the main takeaways from his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Macron responded, “I do hope,” when asked if a truce was possible, pointing out that Russia continued to strike Ukraine while the world leaders’ team was in the United States.
Trump says arrangements underway for Zelenskyy and Putin to meet
Trump tells Ukraine to give up Crimea and NATO hopes
How Trump and trade wars pushed Russia and Ukraine into the cold
According to him, a Ukrainian president and Ukrainian authorities cannot discuss peace while their nation is being destroyed and civilians are being massacred.
Putin reportedly tried to convince Zelenskyy to agree to what are believed to be broad demands for Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine by carrying out deadly strikes in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia overnight in the run-up to the negotiations.
Macron stated that there should not be any land exchanging, as Trump has proposed, especially since its force has failed to acquire substantial territory in Ukraine for extended periods of time during the conflict that Russia launched.
Macron stated, “I don’t see any swap in the Russian proposal, except a swap in comparison with what they wanted at the beginning.”
He stated that the Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people should have a discussion about land.
Highlighting the significance of the discussions, Macron was joined at the White House by a powerful group that included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
One of Europe’s most vocal leaders on the conflict in Ukraine has been the president of France. In a March speech, he declared that Russia was a threat to the continent as a whole.
He emphasized once more on Monday that the threat is not limited to Ukraine.
Since we are talking about controlling a nuclear power that has chosen to disregard international borders, what is happening in Ukraine is crucial not only for the Ukrainian people but also for the security of all of Europe. “I believe it’s crucial for your nation because it’s a credibility issue,” he remarked. Our collective credibility in the rest of the world will be put to the test by how we act in Ukraine.
Rebecca Shabad, Sarah Dean, and Megan Lebowitz all made contributions.
