On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech in which he expressed concern about the threats posed by Russia to Europe. In particular, he said that the Kremlin is manipulating the electoral processes in Romania and Moldova, as well as conducting cyberattacks on European institutions. His speech came amid diplomatic efforts by France and the United Kingdom to finalise a peace plan for Ukraine, which could be presented to the United States in the coming days. This was reported by Le Figaro.
Russia is a threat to Europe
During his speech, Macron stressed that Russia continues to pursue an aggressive policy aimed not only at Ukraine but also at the whole of Europe. He noted that Moscow interferes in the electoral processes in Romania and Moldova, and conducts cyberattacks on the critical infrastructure of European countries.
“President Putin’s Russia is violating our borders, killing opponents, manipulating elections in Romania and Moldova, and attacking our hospitals digitally, paralysing their work,” Macron said.
In addition, he drew attention to the fact that the Kremlin plans to significantly increase its military potential: “By 2030, Russia intends to increase its army by another 3,000 tanks and 300 combat aircraft. Who can believe that it will stop at Ukraine?” the French leader asked a rhetorical question.
Peace plan for Ukraine: what is known?
Diplomatic sources have told Reuters that France and the UK are actively working to finalise a peace plan for Ukraine, which could be presented to the US in the coming days. According to the sources, the plan envisages a gradual cessation of hostilities and security guarantees for Ukraine.
In particular, one option would be a limited one-month ceasefire that would cover air strikes, attacks on energy infrastructure and naval operations, but would allow for continued fighting on the ground. France, the United Kingdom and other allies could take on the role of guarantors of this truce.
Europe should be independent of the US
In his speech, Macron paid special attention to the need to strengthen European defence capabilities and reduce dependence on the United States. “The future of Europe should not be determined in Washington or Moscow. We must strengthen our own defence while remaining committed to NATO,” he stressed.
Preparing for the meeting of military leaders in Paris
Next week, France will gather in Paris the chiefs of general staff of the countries that are ready to take part in guaranteeing future peace in Ukraine. According to Macron, this is an important step towards creating a European security strategy.
What’s next?
Despite active diplomatic efforts, the question remains whether the US will support the plan proposed by France and the UK. It is known that after Donald Trump came to power, Washington cooled relations with Kyiv, which led to a reduction in military aid. Currently, European leaders are trying to establish a dialogue between the US and Ukraine to prevent the weakening of support for Kyiv.
Whether European leaders will succeed in convincing the United States to join the new peace plan will be determined in the near future.
