Macron: Ukrainians must be given strong security guarantees
A lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved with the consent and participation of Ukrainians in peace negotiations, and the West must provide Ukraine with appropriate security guarantees in the future.
French President Emmanuel Macron said this at a joint briefing with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
Macron stressed that Poland today plays a crucial role in assisting Ukraine in military, logistical and humanitarian aspects, and all European countries should be aware of this.
He stressed that France and Poland agreed on the need to support Ukraine at this important stage, when the Russian offensive continues.
"We also have a common view of the future: only a lasting peace is possible, and it must be achieved by Ukrainians through negotiations. It is necessary to provide Ukrainians with strong security guarantees," Macron said.
He added that Paris and Warsaw are unanimous in saying that "peace in Ukraine is impossible without the consent of the Ukrainians."
"They are the ones who should be negotiating. But there will also be no security in Europe without the Europeans, and from this point of view, the discussion we are having is very important. Lasting security in Ukraine means also lasting security in Europe," Macron said.
He stressed the need to provide Ukraine with "appropriate security guarantees" in the future.
In this context, he noted that France makes its sovereign decisions, and so does Poland.
He recalled his trilateral meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Macron added that the United States would play a new role in the Ukraine issue in the coming weeks and months.
"The Trump administration has indicated its readiness to influence the development of this conflict. Therefore, we need to work very closely with the United States, obviously in close contact with Ukraine, and find a possible path that takes into account the interests of Ukraine, its sovereignty and the interests of Europeans and the security of Europe," Macron said.
He said that talks on Ukraine would also take place next week at the European Council meeting, where the G7 countries' decision to allocate EUR 50 billion to Ukraine would be discussed.
Macron also drew attention to the threat posed by Russia, which is trying to influence elections in European countries, particularly in Moldova, Georgia, and Romania. In this context, he stressed the need to "strengthen joint actions to monitor the situation and prevent manipulation in cyberspace."
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