Two weeks before the return to the White House of Donald Trump, who promised to resolve the war in Ukraine in “twenty-four hours”Emmanuel Macron called on his future American counterpart not to believe in miracles. “No quick solution that would mean the capitulation of Ukraine can be good for Europeans and Americans»declared the Head of State in front of the French ambassadors, gathered at the Élysée for their traditional annual conference.
The French president affirmed that it is the credibility of Westerners as a whole, as well as that of the international order, which would be “battered” if they agreed to “transact” against Russia because of their « fatigue » regarding the negative consequences of the war in Ukraine. “The new American president himself knows that the United States has no chance of winning anything if Ukraine loses»even argued Emmanuel Macron.
The stance that Donald Trump will adopt on the Ukrainian issue from his inauguration on January 20 is the subject of intense speculation, after a presidential campaign punctuated by all kinds of accusations against the Atlantic alliance and aid to Ukraine , considered too expensive for America. In Europe, many fear that the American president’s determination to find a negotiated outcome in Ukraine will be to the detriment of kyiv and the security of the continent. Since his election at the beginning of November, European chancelleries have been working to convince him not to turn his back on this issue.
Change of tone on concessions
At a time when the Russian army is in a position of strength on the battlefield, Emmanuel Macron stressed that Washington will have to help Europe to “change the nature of the situation and convince Russia to come to the negotiating table”. This could include increasing military aid to Ukraine and implementing new sanctions against the Russian economy.
In return, it will be up to the Europeans to “build security guarantees” for Ukraine. kyiv, for its part, will have to lead “realistic discussions on territorial issues”said the President of the Republic. This declaration, the first from Emmanuel Macron opening the way to questioning the territorial integrity of Ukraine, embraces the change in tone adopted by Volodymyr Zelensky since the victory of Donald Trump.
In December, the Ukrainian president admitted that his army was not currently able to reconquer the territories occupied by Russia, and considered postponing their hypothetical liberation until later. “through diplomatic channels”. A recognition of the reality on the ground, and a way for the Ukrainian authorities to present themselves as demonstrating goodwill towards the new American administration.
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