French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for strong security guarantees for Ukraine, following discussions with European leaders and direct communications with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The 17 February European leadership meeting was initiated by Macron in the “Weimar Triangle++” format, which included France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and other European nations.
Early on 18 February, Macron wrote on X:
“We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians. Otherwise, there is a risk that this ceasefire will end up like the Minsk agreements.”
The French president indicated he would work collaboratively with European partners, Americans, and Ukrainians to achieve this goal, calling it “the key” to establishing lasting peace.
Macron also stressed the importance of increased European investment in security and defense, noting:
“We are convinced that Europeans must invest better, more, and together in their security and defense – both for today and for the future.”
He called for acceleration of Europe’s sovereignty agenda, referencing plans established at the 2022 Versailles Summit.
“Europeans want to accelerate the implementation of their own agenda for sovereignty, security, and competitiveness,” Macron stated, emphasizing the need for “decisions, actions, coherence. Quickly.”
Macron noted, “I will continue these discussions in the coming days.”
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