The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has assured that Ukraine will have to hold talks with Russia at some point to try to end the war between the two countries. “The Ukrainian president and his officials they will have to negotiate with Russia”Macron said, during a visit to Romania and Moldova.
Macron arrived in Romania this Tuesday to a three-day visit to NATO’s southern flankincluding Moldova, before heading to Kyiv on Thursday to visit German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, two diplomatic sources said.
Macron has been criticized by Ukraine and its Eastern European allies for what they perceive as his ambiguous backing of Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Macron has reaffirmed that Paris’ position on the war in Ukraine “was clear from the beginning” and has warned that “there is an unprecedented situation at the gates of the European Union”. The French leader has taken advantage of the occasion to emphasize that “there is no country like Romania” and guarantee that he can count on the “fraternity” of France. “We have had a friendship for centuries and I am proud that we can improve it within NATO,” he said after meeting Iohannis at an air base in Constanta.
“We have a common vision on the situation in Ukraine and we have addressed Romania’s access to the Schengen area. We want this case to go ahead with the help of France”, he asserted before leaving on the need to “do everything in our power to stop the war, sanction Russia and build peace”.
Thus, he pointed out that “At some point the fighting will end and the talks will resume.” “The Ukrainian leader will have to negotiate, but also the Europeans. We have to sit down at the table”, he insisted before making a call to send a message of support to Ukraine and Moldova, according to information from the newspaper ‘Libertatea’.
For the French president, “we are in a situation where we have to make an effort to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine”. “We have to stay united and take into account the Western Balkans region, which is in danger.
Macron, who arrived in Romania on Tuesday afternoon, was received by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca. Throughout this Wednesday, he is scheduled to give a press conference with Iohannis and meet with soldiers deployed at the Kogalniceanu base.
For his part, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis He has called for the EU to grant Ukraine EU candidate status and hoped a decision could come by the end of June. “In my opinion, candidate status should be granted as soon as possible, it is a correct solution from a moral, economic and security perspective,” she said after talks with the French president.
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