PARIS (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan goes in the right direction but there are aspects that need improvement to make it acceptable for Ukraine and Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron told RTL radio on Tuesday. “It’s an initiative that goes in the right direction: peace. However, there are aspects of that plan that […]
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French President Macron says Trump’s Ukraine peace plan needs improvement
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PARIS (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan goes in the right direction but there are aspects that need improvement to make it acceptable for Ukraine and Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron told RTL radio on Tuesday.
“It’s an initiative that goes in the right direction: peace. However, there are aspects of that plan that deserve to be discussed, negotiated, improved,” Macron said. “We want peace, but we don’t want a peace that would be a capitulation.”
He added that only the Ukrainians could decide what territorial concessions they are ready to make.
“What was put on the table gives us an idea of what would be acceptable for the Russians. Does that mean that it is what must be accepted by the Ukrainians and the Europeans? The answer is no,” Macron added.
Macron added Ukraine’s first line of defence in case of peace with Russia would be regenerating its own army, and there can be not limit on it. He also said frozen Russian assets are in Europe, and Europe alone can decide what to do with them.
Asked if he was ready to go to Washington to help negotiate a better deal, Macron said he had no current plan to do so.
(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Michel Rose;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)