Munich, Germany – French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that ending the war in Ukraine “will not be achieved by yielding to Russia’s demands, but by increasing pressure on it.” He also emphasized the necessity of Europe playing a central role in any negotiation process aimed at achieving peace.
Refusal to submit to Moscow
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Macron explained that peace cannot be achieved by making concessions to Russia. Rather, it can only be achieved by strengthening Europe’s position of power. He added, “There can be no peace in Ukraine without Europe, and Europeans must be involved in the negotiations.”
The French president called for a series of European consultations to establish rules for coexistence with Russia in the event of a peace agreement. He believes this would help reduce the risk of future escalation. He emphasized that this approach should be based on Europe’s interests and its own strategic vision.
Macron and strengthening defense capabilities
Macron stressed the need to develop Europe’s defense arsenal, particularly long-range precision-strike systems, so that the continent would be in a position of strength during any potential negotiations with Moscow.
He also called for reducing Europe’s dependence on external partners in the field of security and defense. And he said that Europeans “must build their own defense systems.” He urged them to become an active geopolitical force instead of merely criticizing the status quo.
