French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized on the 13th (local time) that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can represent Ukraine in peace negotiations. This statement is interpreted as an attempt to check moves by the United States and Russia, who are leading the peace talks while trying to exclude Ukraine.
In an interview with the British Financial Times (FT) at the ?lys?e Palace on the same day, President Macron said, "Discussing territorial and sovereignty issues is something President Zelenskyy must do alone," and added, "Former U.S. President Donald Trump created a window of opportunity to find a solution through negotiations, and everyone must play their part in this."
He continued, "Peace through capitulation would be bad news for everyone, including the United States," and stated, "The only question at this stage is whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to agree to a ceasefire on a sincere, sustainable, and trustworthy basis. After that, negotiations with Russia depend on Ukraine."
Currently, Ukraine's peace negotiations have accelerated since Presidents Trump and Putin agreed to start talks during a phone call on the 12th. However, it is expected that Ukraine's position will hardly be reflected. On the 12th, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth rejected all of Ukraine's core conditions for peace, including joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the return of Russian-occupied territories, and the deployment of U.S. peacekeeping forces, deeming them unrealistic.
President Macron said, "Europe must develop its own defense capabilities and reduce dependence on U.S. weapons so that it can take action even if the United States does not get involved," adding, "We must grow a fully integrated European defense, industrial, and technological base," and stated, "This must go beyond a simple discussion about (defense) spending. If it is only about becoming a bigger customer of the United States, European sovereignty issues will still not be resolved even after 20 years."
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