French FM: peace possible if Putin abandons idea of rebuilding empire

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has urged Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin to abandon the idea of recreating the Soviet empire and to take seriously the American peace proposal, which has been refined jointly with European partners.

He said this in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Ukrinform reports.

“Peace is within reach, provided Vladimir Putin abandons his delusional hope of reconstituting the Soviet empire, starting with the subjugation of Ukraine. Ukraine belongs to the Ukrainians and to them alone,” Barrot emphasized.

In his view, Putin must agree to a truce or accept that Russia will face new sanctions that will deplete its economy.

The French Foreign Minister noted that Europeans had made every effort to influence the talks, driven by a single goal – peace for Ukraine and security for Europe.

“And our mobilization has borne fruit. After the presentation of their (American — ed.) 28-point plan, we persuaded the United States – for the first time – to clarify their intention to support the security guarantees we have been working on for several months. We also ensured that decisions within Europe's competence cannot be taken without us. This includes Ukraine’s EU accession process, frozen Russian assets in Europe, Russia’s return to the G7, and – most importantly – European security,” Barrot said.

He expressed hope that on Monday, when President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Paris, “the negotiations will advance even further.”

“War has returned to the European continent. Our main objective is to restore lasting peace,” the French Foreign Minister stressed.

As reported, the Élysée Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron would receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on December 1 to discuss security guarantees and continue the Geneva-launched discussions on the U.S. peace plan.