Russia should face “strong actions” from the West if it continues to refuse an unconditional ceasefire in the Ukraine war, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
Following further discussions between European leaders and Kyiv about a potential pan-European peacekeeping force to be deployed into Ukraine following a cessation of the war, French President Macron stepped up the rhetoric towards Moscow, suggesting that further measures may be needed to force Vladimir Putin’s hand towards a peace deal.
Writing on the X social media platform, Macron condemned Russia’s “deadly strikes” on Kyiv over the weekend and the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih that reportedly left at least 19 dead, including children, and saw another 75 injured on Friday.
“While Ukraine accepted President Trump’s proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire nearly a month ago, and as we work with all our partners to secure peace, Russia continues its war with renewed intensity, showing no regard for civilians,” Macron said.
“These Russian strikes must stop. A ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible. And strong action must follow if Russia continues to stall and reject peace,” he demanded.
“How much longer will Russia toy with peace offers from the United States and Ukraine, while continuing to kill children and civilians?” the French leader questioned.
Exactly what “strong actions” Russia should face over the continued strikes on Ukraine, Macron did not say. Despite being one of the few voices calling for negotiations with Moscow at the outset of the conflict, the French president has since become one of the most strident war hawks in Europe and was one of the first to suggest that Western weapons could be used to strike targets within the Russian mainland.
The Trump administration has successfully negotiated partial ceasefires between Russia and Ukraine in limited areas, such as on ships in the Black Sea and energy infrastructure in both countries. However, a full agreement to halt fighting along the 2,000-kilometre front between the two nations has remained elusive.
Last week, President Trump was reported to have said that he was “pissed off” and “very angry” that Vladimir Putin has not been as quick to negotiate a truce. The President warned that the U.S. may be forced into using economic leverage on Moscow, including “secondary tariffs” on Russian oil, a novel tactic of taxing countries that purchase goods or resources from one of America’s geopolitical foes to discourage trade.
Although Moscow has continued to make pre-conditional demands for a ceasefire, such as lifting international economic sanctions, the Kremlin has also pointed to alleged Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure — a potential violation of the limited ceasefire deal — as justification for its hesitancy in agreeing to any broader cessation of the conflict. The Russian Defence Ministry alleged on Sunday that Ukraine had carried out seven attacks on its energy infrastructure over the weekend.
Conversely, Volodymyr Zelensky has also asserted that the continued missile and drone strikes on claimed civilian targets within Ukraine indicate that Russia is not serious about seeking a peace deal.
Nevertheless, it appears that talks are likely to continue, with Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev saying Sunday that further discussions with the Trump administration may restart as soon as this week. Dmitriev said that he believes there is a “positive dynamic” with the Trump White House, which he also credited with preventing “World War III”.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly informed Dmitriev during his recent trip to Washington that President Trump expects Vladimir Putin to demonstrate his commitment to peace, and demonstrate it soon.
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