Chinese and Turks should not be the only ones negotiating: Macron

A short time after French President Emmanuel Macron said "the West should consider how to address Russia's need for security guarantees if Vladimir Putin agrees to negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine," he once more reiterated his opinion on the importance of having a lasting peace agreement with Russia.

Macron had told French TV station TF1 on 3 December:

"One of the essential points we must address - as President Putin has always said - is the fear that NATO comes right up to its doors, and the deployment of weapons that could threaten Russia (...) That topic will be part of the topics for peace, so we need to prepare what we are ready to do, how we protect our allies and member states, and how to give guarantees to Russia the day it returns to the negotiating table."

Less than three weeks later, on his return from Jordan he told Le Monde, the Wall Street Journal and Lebanon's An-Nahar:

"I have always been clear in saying I did not think this conflict could end only militarily. I also understand the strategy of some who say the only solution would be the annihilation of one of the two parties."

He continued:

"I know this upsets many who are committed to the annihilation scenario. I'd like them to explain how they want to proceed. In the end, we will have to get everyone around the table. I would like the Europeans and Westerners, who are lecturing me, to tell me who they want to see at the table. I don't want the Chinese and the Turks to be the only ones negotiating the day after."

Macron also stressed again the need for Europe to "gain autonomy from the United States," adding that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict highlighted the weakness of Europe and its dependence on US.

He said:

"Europe needs to protect itself. Europe must gain technological and capability autonomy from the United States and create a real European pillar within NATO. This is not an alternative project."