Russia will 'try to escalate' against Europe to deter Ukraine support: Macron

Russia will seek to escalate against European countries to deter support for Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron warned Monday as European leaders gathered in Kyiv.

“Russia will try to escalate against European countries in order to deter them from assisting Ukraine,” Macron said at a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.

“It’s clear that NATO countries will be targeted and the provocations will multiply,” he added, calling for a “robust posture” from European allies.

Macron said France and its partners should accelerate deliveries of air defense interceptors and anti-ballistic missile capabilities to Ukraine.

He warned that shortages of such systems have “direct consequences on people's lives.”

Macron said France would accelerate deliveries of available systems and work with partners to increase production capacity in Ukraine.

He also called for continued support for Ukraine's energy sector ahead of winter and faster disbursement of financial assistance to support the country's budget.

On pressure against Russia, Macron said allies must step up efforts against the so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions.

“We must double down on our efforts regarding sanctions and respective measures and strengthen our coordination,” he said.

Macron proposed a ministerial meeting in the coming weeks focused on measures against the shadow fleet.

He also urged allies to prepare new sanctions targeting Russian oil and gas imports.

Macron said Russia has increasingly turned to imports from third countries following measures against its shadow fleet.

On security guarantees, Macron said the Coalition of the Willing would conduct a full-scale exercise in October and November to demonstrate its operational preparedness and ability to act once hostilities cease.