French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation if its leader Vladimir Putin does not begin to take real steps towards a peaceful resolution of the war with Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
France’s Position on Sanctions and Peace Negotiations
During his speech on Monday, Macron highlighted that Paris and international partners are ready for further sanctions against Russia if the diplomatic process remains stagnant. He also commented on the recent imposition of secondary sanctions by the Trump administration against India, which has become one of the leading buyers of Russian energy resources. According to Macron, such measures have already had a significant effect.
“President Trump believes that we can reach an agreement and thinks that President Putin also wants a peace deal. But if ultimately this process meets refusal, we are also ready to say that we need to strengthen sanctions.”
International Meetings and Ukraine’s Demands
On August 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington, where he held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. Key participants in the meeting included Emmanuel Macron and several European allies. This meeting took place shortly after talks in Alaska between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which were dedicated to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, details or specific agreements resulting from these negotiations were not disclosed.
It is worth noting that previously President Trump had mentioned the possibility of territorial concessions from Ukraine. At the same time, the Ukrainian side insists on maintaining sovereignty and the return of all territories seized by Russia by force.
When asked by journalists about possible concessions within the framework of U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, Macron responded that this topic was not discussed during the meeting and the positions of the parties remain far from compromise.