French President Emmanuel Macron is positioning himself as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine for a possible ceasefire agreement.
“I think it is my responsibility to take such initiatives when requested by Ukraine. Then, while condemning and sanctioning Russia, we leave the way open for a day when conditions can be met, and in this way we can obtain an end to hostilities for the Ukrainian people,” Macron said.
The comments were made at a joint press conference in Brussels on Friday, following an emergency EU summit.
Macron was the first major Western leader to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russian military action began. They spoke before the summit – but the French president admitted the phone call didn’t do much, “since the Russian president chose war”.
Macron also accused Putin of duplicity, saying he and other European leaders were discussing “the details of the Minsk agreements” with Putin just hours before the Russian president launched the military operation, referring to the 2015 pact that established a ceasefire. fire in the region.
“So yes, there was duplicity. Yes, there was a deliberate and conscious choice by President Putin to launch the war when we could still negotiate peace,” Macron said.
At the summit, European Union leaders signed a new round of sanctions, described by European Council President Charles Michel, as “massive” and “painful” against Russia and Belarus.
Source: CNN Brasil
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