Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – French President Emmanuel Macron said U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia goes in the right direction, but there are aspects that need improvement to make it acceptable, and warned against “capitulation” by Kyiv, in an interview broadcast Tuesday.
As reported, US officials are holding a discussion with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi regarding a proposed plan for ending the war.
The meetings came after several days of discussions in Switzerland, during which US and Ukrainian officials negotiated the plan. This plan was developed by the US with contributions from Russia and Ukraine.
What concerns does Macron raise about the Trump peace plan?
“We want peace. But not a peace that is in essence a capitulation, which puts Ukraine in an impossible situation, which gives Russia all the freedom to continue to go further,”
Macron told RTL radio, saying that the US plan was a step “in the right direction” with “elements” that should be “discussed, negotiated, improved”.
“It’s an initiative that goes in the right direction: peace. However, there are aspects of that plan that deserve to be discussed, negotiated, improved,”
Macron said.
“We want peace, but we don’t want a peace that would be a capitulation.”
Why does Macron insist that decisions on concessions lie with Ukraine?
He emphasized that it is solely up to the Ukrainians to determine what territorial concessions they are willing to accept.
“What was put on the table gives us an idea of what would be acceptable for the Russians. Does that mean that it is what must be accepted by the Ukrainians and the Europeans? The answer is no,”
Macron added.
Macron stated that Ukraine’s initial defense measure in the event of peace with Russia would be rebuilding its own army, with no limits on this process.
He also mentioned that frozen Russian assets are held in Europe, and only Europe can decide their fate. When asked if he was willing to travel to Washington to assist in negotiating a better deal, Macron responded that he currently has no plans to do so.
What does the US proposed plan outline for peace between the two countries?
The 28-point framework of the US-proposed peace plan for Ukraine calls for significant concessions from Ukraine in order to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The main points include acknowledging Ukraine’s sovereignty while giving Russia control over the entire Donbas region, Crimea, and frozen conflict zones in Kherson and Zaporizhia.
Ukraine must limit its military personnel and not join NATO. In addition to a security dialogue between Russia and NATO facilitated by the US, the plan calls for a comprehensive non-aggression pact between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe.
