French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday that Russia showed little sign of seeking a ceasefire with Ukraine, calling for “continued pressure” on Moscow to negotiate.
His comments come amid fresh attempts to broker an end to the nearly four-year war after the United States put forward a 28-point plan criticised for echoing Russia’s demands, which Ukraine and European allies have since worked to amend.
“There is clearly no Russian willingness to agree a ceasefire today,” Macron said after a video call between the 30 countries of the so-called “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv.
According to the French leader, participants in the call, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reported on their direct exchanges with Moscow.
Macron said Moscow had not shown any “willingness to discuss” an amended version of the US plan resulting from talks between representatives from the United States, Ukraine and Europe in Geneva last weekend.
Macron called for a “strong Ukrainian army” without “limitation” as part of guarantees for Kyiv’s post-war security.
“Discussions in Geneva have shown that there should be no limitations to the Ukrainian army,” he emphasised, contrary to what was outlined in an initial draft of the US plan.
– ‘Support with force’ –
The war has continued unabated despite the ceasefire push, with powerful explosions rocking Kyiv.
“While Russia pretended once again it was ready for peace, the last hours were marked by new strikes against civilian infrastructure, especially energy, and Ukrainian civilians,” Macron said.
“On the ground the reality is quite the opposite of a willingness for peace.”
He said “continued pressure” would be put on Russia to negotiate, adding: “We will continue to support Ukraine with force.”
If the war sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine ends in a ceasefire, some members of the coalition aim to send a multinational force to deter any future Russian attack.
The French president also said a decision on frozen Russian assets, at the heart of a political and legal impasse in a Europe seeking funding for Ukraine, would be “finalised in the coming days”.
The frozen assets are “extremely important” and “also a means of pressure” on Russia, he said.
Macron said that he backed US efforts to thrash out a plan and “move forwards on a path that is acceptable”.
“But the main question is, is there a Russian willingness or not?”
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© Agence France-Presse
