Emmanuel Macron requested on Monday, August 18 to “increase the sanctions” against Russia on Monday, August 18, if the negotiations on Ukraine failed, after a meeting at the White House with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian head of Ukrainian state Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.
“If this process was rejected, we also agree that we will have to increase the sanctions and, in any case, to have a position that press more about the Russian part,” said French president in the press in Washington.
A position that repeated on Tuesday in the social network X: “It is so clear in our mind that the pressure on Russia will have to continue while this peace has not settled,” he wrote
“Robust guarantees”
The head of state was one of the European leaders present together with Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House to discuss a possible peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, as well as their conditions. At the end of this meeting, Emmanuel Macron said that one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, which will have to accompany any peace agreement with Russia, will be a rather “robust” Ukrainian army to avoid a possible new attack by Moscow.
Guarantees “in which we have decided to work very specifically with the United States,” he adds to X. because, for the French president, “as long as (Vladimir Putin) thinks he can win by war, he will do it.”
He insists on efforts for “a solid and lasting peace, which preserves the interests of Ukraine and the safety of Europeans.” According to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin is ready to accept such security guarantees.
Towards a Summit of Zelensky-Humine
Finally, the French head of state said that the question of the possible territorial concessions of Ukraine with respect to Russia had not been discussed during discussions in the White House.
“We have not talked about this issue today,” he said. “And for two reasons. First, the priority is the security guarantees and then, it was what should be discussed in bilateral and trilateral,” said Emmanuel Macron in reference to a possible head between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, followed by a possible three top with Donald Trump.
For his part, Donald Trump welcomed a “very good” meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky and the European heads of state and government, and also assured that he was going to “begin the preparations” of a Volodymyr Zelensky-Vladimir Putin summit.
Source: BFM TV
