Lasting peace cannot be achieved by abandoning Ukraine: French president

PARIS/ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that a just and lasting peace cannot be achieved by abandoning Ukraine.

Inviting US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had a heated exchange at the White House on Friday, to cooler heads, Macron told French media that it would not be in the US' interest to give up on Ukraine.

The French president argued that Washington would lose its capacity for geostrategic deterrence against Russia and China if a ceasefire is signed without security guarantees for Ukraine.

Macron's remarks came after the fiery exchange between Zelenskyy, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.

During the exchange, Trump criticized the Ukrainian leader's attitude, while Zelenskyy expressed his expectation of support for his country.