France opposes the conditions for establishing a ceasefire in the Black Sea, which were agreed upon by Ukraine and Russia following talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia.
French President Emmanuel Macron made this statement in Paris during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on 26 March.
Macron noted that it was Russia that turned the Black Sea into a theater of military operations, undermining commercial routes and putting their security at risk.
“I fully support the concept of ‘peace through strength’ proposed by the American president. But, as far as I know, this concept does not mean lifting sanctions before we have made sure that everything is functining,” he added.
He emphasized that there is “the victim of aggression that is ready to accept a ceasefire without any conditions, “and on the other side, there is an aggressor who is already starting to set conditions in order to, so to speak, not accept this (ceasefire).”
“Therefore, the issue of sanctions will arise when we consider it. But this issue is not timely yet. It will be timely when we talk about sustainable peace,” he added, saying that all sanctions will be lifted if Russia announces its withdrawal to internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.
After the negotiations in Saudi Arabia between 23-25 March, the US, Russia, and Ukraine agreed to “ensure the security of shipping, exclude the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
