France supports Zelenskyy’s dialogue with Putin, - Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron endorsed Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative to hold a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin and called it an important step toward peace.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Ukrinform.
According to him, direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia is a key element of a potential peace process.
"President Zelenskyy's letter to Vladimir Putin proposing a meeting is a good initiative. We have always advocated for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin," the French leader said.
Macron emphasized that it is up to Ukraine and Russia to determine the terms of a possible ceasefire and a future peace plan, while European countries can play a supporting role in this process.
He also emphasized that France, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, is actively involved in supporting Ukraine and plans to hold another meeting with Ukrainian leaders in the near future to discuss next steps.
Separately, Macron announced plans for a meeting of the "coalition of the willing," scheduled to take place on July 13–14 in Paris during the Bastille Day celebrations. According to him, the goal of the event is to "formalize agreements" regarding continued support for Ukraine and the security architecture in Europe.
What happened before?
- On June 4, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy published an open letter to the Russian dictator, in which he proposed a meeting.
- In his letter, Zelenskyy proposed to Putin that they end the war "between us and you" and set a specific date for a meeting. Among the countries that could host such a meeting, the head of state mentioned Switzerland, Turkey, and countries in the Arab world.
- While negotiations are ongoing, Ukraine is prepared to implement a complete ceasefire, and the United States could provide monitoring.
- The President of Ukraine believes that an exchange of prisoners of war on an "all for all" basis could serve as a good first step toward ending the war. Zelenskyy also emphasized the need for measures to repatriate civilians and children who were taken away during the war.
- Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin had been briefed on the letter from the President of Ukraine.
