Time For More Ukraine Support, Not Russia Dialogue, Says France's Macron
Macron has drawn criticism among some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron appeared on Friday to toughen his stance towards Moscow, urging allies to step up military support for Ukraine to help it push back Russia's invasion since now was not the time for dialogue with Moscow.
Macron has drawn criticism among some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.
On Friday, he sought to straighten the course.
"The time is not for dialogue with Russia," he said in a speech to the Munich Security Conference, adding that Russia's almost one-year-old invasion of its neighbour "had to fail."
He sought to make it clear that, for now, he would be doubling down on French support for Kyiv.
"We absolutely need to intensify our support and our effort to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people," he said.
"We are ready today to intensify (our efforts) and we are ready for an extended conflict .. It is the only way to bring Russia back to the table and build a lasting peace."
If Europe is to be in it for the long haul, Macron said, the bloc needs to invest in rearmament, and shift supply chains back to the continent and away from non-EU partners.
He called for the EU to come up with a joint defence investment programme by the summer so that it could look after its own interests.
"If Europe wants to defend Europe it must arm itself, take advantage of NATO inter-operability, but also accelerate its capacity to produce on European soil," he said.
Macron has drawn criticism among some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.
On Friday, he sought to straighten the course.
"The time is not for dialogue with Russia," he said in a speech to the Munich Security Conference, adding that Russia's almost one-year-old invasion of its neighbour "had to fail."
He sought to make it clear that, for now, he would be doubling down on French support for Kyiv.
"We absolutely need to intensify our support and our effort to the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its army and help them to launch a counter-offensive which alone can allow credible negotiations, determined by Ukraine, its authorities and its people," he said.
"We are ready today to intensify (our efforts) and we are ready for an extended conflict .. It is the only way to bring Russia back to the table and build a lasting peace."
If Europe is to be in it for the long haul, Macron said, the bloc needs to invest in rearmament, and shift supply chains back to the continent and away from non-EU partners.
He called for the EU to come up with a joint defence investment programme by the summer so that it could look after its own interests.
"If Europe wants to defend Europe it must arm itself, take advantage of NATO inter-operability, but also accelerate its capacity to produce on European soil," he said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.