French President Emmanuel Macron said that at the moment “Russia clearly does not have the will for a ceasefire“ and called for continued pressure on Moscow, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“To date, there is no will on the Russian side for a ceasefire“, Macron said, adding that Russia has not shown “readiness to discuss“ the draft US plan for Ukraine, updated after talks between representatives of the US, Ukraine and European countries in Geneva last weekend.
The president stressed that work is underway with the US and NATO to discuss mechanisms for monitoring and controlling a possible future ceasefire. Regarding security guarantees, he said that a "strong Ukrainian army" remained a key factor.
"The discussions in Geneva showed that there should be no limits on the size of the Ukrainian army," Macron said, opposing the initial version of the American plan.
Tomorrow, a working group on "peacekeeping forces" is to be established to reinforce the Ukrainian army as a "second line of defense" in the event of a possible agreement. The group will be led by France and Britain, in cooperation with Turkey and, for the first time, the United States.
Macron assured that a decision on frozen Russian assets will soon be finalized — a key element in European efforts to finance Ukraine and maintain pressure on Moscow.
“In the coming days, we will finalize a solution that will provide financing for Ukraine and maintain pressure,“ he said.