Macron: We must continue helping Ukrainians resist

He stated this in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening, Ukrinform reports.

"We must continue helping Ukrainians resist until they can negotiate a lasting peace with Russia," Macron said.

He stressed that peace cannot be dictated by Russia or come at the price of Ukraine's surrender or collapse.

"Peace cannot mean Ukraine's capitulation. It cannot be its collapse. Nor can it be a fragile ceasefire," he said.

Macron also cited the failure of the Minsk Agreements, warning against repeating past mistakes:

"We must not forget that Russia started its invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and we then agreed on a ceasefire in Minsk. That same Russia violated the ceasefire, and we failed to maintain a balance due to the lack of reliable guarantees," he said.

The French leader stressed that Ukraine's peace and security are in the interest of the European continent.

"We can no longer take Russia at its word. Ukraine has the right to peace and security, and that is in our interest and in the interest of security on the European continent. That is why we are working alongside our British and German friends and several other European countries," Macron said.

According to Macron, Russia continues rearming, with plans to significantly expand its military by 2030, including 300,000 additional troops, 3,000 more tanks, and 300 additional fighter jets.

"Who can believe that in this context, Russia will stop at Ukraine? Russia has become a long-term threat to France and Europe," he concluded.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine