First, a clarification.

“President Putin chose to go to war alone.

It's not a conflict, there are no NATO troops in Ukraine.

Russia is not being attacked, it is the aggressor, ”said Emmanuel Macron this Wednesday evening during a televised address.

The opportunity for the French president, a week after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to show his desire to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict at all costs.

"We continue and will continue to work hard to demand a ceasefire and respect for humanitarian operations," he said.

And to add: “We are not at war against Russia and know everything that binds us to this great people.

(…) I will stay in contact with President Putin as much as necessary to convince him to give up arms,

Regarding the Ukrainians caught under the fire of Russian bombs, Emmanuel Macron indicated that "hundreds of Ukrainian civilians were killed, women and children".

And that "the days to come will probably be more and more violent", while saluting the "courage of the Ukrainian people".

An economic “resilience plan”

France therefore has no vocation to intervene militarily, but it has been acting, together with the EU, in an economic way vis-à-vis Russia for a week.

And could pay the price, especially vis-à-vis its energy bill.

“Many economic sectors are suffering and will suffer.

Our growth will inevitably be affected,” warned the Head of State.

This is why he indicated that he wanted to put in place an “economic and social resilience plan”.

"We will provide responses to the disruption of trade flows and soaring prices," he added.

Finally, evoking a “change of era” and a “break for our continent and our generations”, the President once again highlighted the ambition of a European Defence.

A summit on the subject is scheduled for March 10 and 11 in Versailles with the countries concerned.

Nearly 900,000 refugees

This speech by the French president came as fighting continued to rage in Ukraine, on the seventh day of the invasion launched by Vladimir Putin.

The Russian army continued this Wednesday to pound a series of cities, including Kharkiv, the second city of the country.

Russian airborne troops had notably landed on the spot, according to the Ukrainian army.

In the capital, Kiev, 500 km further west, the inhabitants who had not fled the invader had been preparing for an assault for several days in relative calm.

At the same time, a Ukrainian delegation was expected in the evening to neighboring Belarus, for a second round of negotiations with Russia to begin Thursday.

A ceasefire could be on the menu of these new talks, according to a Russian negotiator.

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine for neighboring countries has jumped again to reach almost 874,000 people as of March 1, according to a census of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees published on its website on Wednesday.

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  • Europe

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Russia

  • Vladimir Poutine

  • War in Ukraine

  • World

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