Ukraine war: Russia must be defeated but not crushed – Macron

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has said that he does not want to see Russia destroyed by a loss in Ukraine.

Speaking to French media, Mr. Macron encouraged Western countries to boost military help to Kiev and declared himself ready for a lengthy conflict.

I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position and I want Russia to lose in Ukraine, he stated.

But he took aim at those who, in his words, intended to “destroy” Russia by bringing the battle inside its own borders.

The remarks were made while international leaders met at the Munich Security Conference, where it was announced that Russia would face stiffer penalties and that the delivery of weaponry to Kiev would be accelerated.

According to Mr. Macron, “I do not believe, as some people do, that we must strive for a comprehensive defeat of Russia, fighting Russia on its own country.”

“Such spectators prioritize crushing Russia above anything else. France has never had that posture, and we will never have that position.

Speaking at a conference on Friday in Munich, Mr. Macron emphasized that now was not the appropriate moment for talks with Russia.

Yet, he did not hesitate to state that peace discussions were the ultimate objective.

According to the president, only military action by Ukraine, backed by friends, could “bring Russia back to the table and construct a permanent peace.”

He also scoffed at the idea of a regime transition in Russia, calling previous initiatives elsewhere a “complete failure.”

Notwithstanding Mr. Macron’s remarks, the authorities of Ukraine see dialogue as a distant possibility.

Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister, expressed his approval of the decision to exclude Russia from the Munich meeting on Friday.

As long as the “terrorist state kills, as long as it employs bombs, missiles, and tanks as a justification for world politics,” he argued, Russian officials should not be brought to the table. BBC

Miniechat

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