According to French leader Emmanuel Macron, it is precisely the significant strengthening of sanctions against the aggressor country Russia that may push Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to make concessions if negotiations to end the war against Ukraine fail.
Points of attention
- Macron and European allies agree on the importance of strengthening sanctions if diplomatic efforts fail in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
- Efforts to pressure Putin through sanctions and negotiations showcase a unified stance among Western leaders in supporting Ukraine's security and sovereignty.
Macron advocates increasing sanctions pressure on Russia
As the French leader noted, this is not only his position, but also that of Ukraine's other European allies.
If this process is rejected, we all agree that sanctions need to be strengthened and, in any case, a position taken that will put more pressure on the Russian side.
Emmanuel Macron
President of France
It is worth noting that after the meeting at the White House, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a statement regarding security guarantees for Ukraine.
He officially confirmed that Ukraine's membership in NATO is not under discussion, but security guarantees like "Article 5" are currently in the spotlight.
Against this background, British leader Keir Starmer announced two key results of the meeting between the presidents of the US and Ukraine:
first, it says that the coalition of the willing "will now work with the US" on security guarantees;
Secondly, there is already an agreement to organize a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, in which Trump will participate.
