Conflict In Ukraine, President Macron: Russia Cannot Be Expected To Make Diplomatic Concessions In Coming Weeks
JAKARTA - The conflict in Ukraine will not end soon, French President Emmanuel Macron told radio station RTL on Friday.
"Unfortunately, the conflict will not end soon. I believe that we will see a very difficult situation in the Donbass in the coming days and weeks," President Macron said.
"This is why, together with Turkey, Greece and the United Nations, we are doing everything to organize humanitarian operations in the cities of Mariupol and Dnipro," continued President Macron.
"Russia cannot be expected to make diplomatic concessions in the coming weeks," he said.
President Macron said this would not happen until mid-May, adding that Russia would commemorate Victory Day every May 9, the time when the Soviet Union captured Berlin and Nazi Germany surrendered.
President Macron further stressed that every day hostility only makes tomorrow more difficult. According to him, there will be no peace in Europe if you don't think about tomorrow.
Nevertheless, he believes there will be a ceasefire in Ukraine and the war with Russia will end. According to him, there will be a need to build peace. At that time, he said, France was ready to become one of the guarantor of security for Ukraine.
"This cannot be done without a guarantor, and France is called to be one of those guarantors," President Macron said, citing Ukrinform from Le Parisien.
The French president is also prepared to continue calling Russian President Vladimir Putin, even if these talks are in vain. In this way, according to President Macron, Paris maintains the status of a negotiator.
He added that he is also closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, particularly in Mariupol.
Previously, the Kremlin had disapproved of the rescue operation in Mariupol, which would be carried out by France, Greece and Turkey. Currently, Macron hopes to open a humanitarian corridor through the efforts of the Red Cross.