French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep skepticism about the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine in the near term, stating bluntly that Russia shows no willingness to negotiate.
Speaking via video link at a "coalition of the willing" meeting on 24 February, Macron said he welcomes peace initiatives but urged participants to face reality.
Macron said he was very skeptical that there will be a peace achieved in the short term.
"I think it is good to continue this initiative, but let's be realistic. There is no desire for peace on the Russian side," Macron said.
Against this backdrop, the French president stressed the need to continue supporting Ukraine and to impose further sanctions on Russia, specifically targeting its "shadow fleet" in order to "destroy its business model."
On the question of security guarantees, Macron noted that they are currently being finalized and must be "agreed upon in concrete terms."
The remarks came on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Macron has previously described as a "triple failure" for Moscow. In mid-February, the French president pushed back against pessimistic narratives about Ukraine, arguing that the war has in fact weakened Russia.
