French President Emmanuel Macron said that the position of his country has never been and will not crush Russia, but he advocates the defeat of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
Source: Macron in a comment to the French media on the plane on the way from the Munich Security Conference, reports Le Figaro
Direct speech: “I want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, and I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position, but I am convinced that in the end it will not end militarily …
I do not think, as some believe, that Russia should be completely defeated, attacked on its own soil. These observers want, first of all, to crush Russia. This has never been the position of France and never will be.”
Details: The French President stressed that Kyiv’s support must be “strengthened” in order to move towards “negotiations that are credible.”
“Today, Ukraine needs to launch a military offensive that will break through the Russian front to provoke a return to negotiations,” he insists.
According to Macron, “neither side can win completely.”
The French President also said that “all options except for Vladimir Putin within the framework of the current system” in Russia “seem to him worse” than the Russian president.
What came before: Before that, Macron said that the allies would support Ukraine until it wins and peace comes to Europe.
Macron has already stated that does not believe, that regime change will contribute to positive change in Russia.
