French President Emmanuel Macron said that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has the right to negotiate with Russia to end the war. He warned that “peace that is capitulation“ would be “bad news for everyone“, including the United States. This was reported by the “Financial Times“, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
“The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis. "Then it's up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia," Macron said in an interview with the newspaper at the Elysee Palace.
His statement came after separate phone calls between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. Trump ordered U.S. officials to begin peace talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year conflict.
The phone calls came shortly after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett told Ukraine's military allies in Brussels. Hegsett said that returning to Ukraine's 2014 borders is unrealistic, and Kiev's membership in NATO is not part of the current solution.
However, Trump stressed that Ukraine would have a seat at the table in any peace talks with Russia.
In his interview with the “Financial Times“, Macron said that Trump had created a “window of opportunity“ for a diplomatic solution, stressing that “everyone must play their part“.
According to him, it is now up to Zelensky to discuss the key issues related to the territory and sovereignty of Ukraine.
The French president also stressed that the international community, with a specific role for Europe, must discuss security guarantees and the broader security architecture in the region.
Macron described Trump's return as an “electric shock“ that should push Europe to secure its future, as well as that of Ukraine.