French President Emmanuel Macron called Putin’s Russia an adversary and would not stop its offensive in Ukraine if it defeated Kiev’s forces in the two-year conflict, urging Europeans not to be “weak” and to prepare for a response. Prepare.
Macron sparked controversy last month when he said he would not rule out the future deployment of ground troops in Ukraine, with many leaders distancing themselves from the move while others, especially in eastern Europe, expressed support.
“If Russia wins this war, Europe’s credibility will be reduced to zero,” Macron said in a television interview aimed mainly at domestic viewers after French opposition leaders criticized his comments as bellicose.
Macron said he “deeply” disagreed with the opposition leader. “Today, deciding to abstain or vote against supporting Ukraine is not a choice for peace, it is a choice for failure. This is different,” he said.
Macron’s main opposition, far-right Marine Le Pen, abstained from a vote in parliament earlier this week on France’s security deal with Ukraine, while the far-left French Indignation party voted against it.
“If the war spreads in Europe, Russia will be blamed,” Macron added. “But if we decide to be weak; if we decide not to respond today, we have chosen to fail. I don’t want that.”
He said it was important for Europe not to draw red lines, which would send a signal of weakness to the Kremlin and encourage it to continue its invasion of Ukraine. He declined to disclose the specifics of the deployment to Ukraine.
“I don’t want to do this. I want Russia to stop this war, withdraw from its position and make peace,” he said. “I won’t let it be seen by those who don’t give me any chance. This is President Putin’s problem.”
“I have reasons for being inaccurate,” he said.
Macron said France would never launch an offensive against Russia and that Paris was not at war with Moscow despite Russia’s aggressive attacks on French interests inside and outside France.
“The Kremlin regime is an adversary,” he said, declining to call Russia an enemy. He also said Putin’s threat of a nuclear strike was “inappropriate.”
Macron said Ukraine is currently in a “difficult situation” and needs stronger support from its allies.
“Peace does not mean the surrender of Ukraine,” he said. “Wanting peace does not mean defeat. Wanting peace does not mean giving up on Ukraine,” he said.
He also said he hoped to one day enter into peace talks with “whoever” the Russian president is, the first time he envisioned the possibility that Putin would no longer be in charge of Russia.
Macron also said he had not canceled his planned visit to Ukraine for security reasons. “That’s what Russia says. You shouldn’t believe them,” he said.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
