ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Russia to end its aggression in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for a strong and lasting peace, following an emergency summit held Monday in Paris.

“We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve this, Russia must end its aggression, and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians,” Macron said Tuesday. He warned that without such measures, any ceasefire could echo the failed Minsk agreements.

Macron stressed that lasting peace could only be achieved through collaboration across Europe, the US, and Ukraine. He noted that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the summit.

Macron also expressed Europe’s commitment to invest in security and defense. “To this end, Europeans want to accelerate the implementation of their own agenda for sovereignty, security, and competitiveness, “ he added.

Emergency Summit in Paris

The emergency summit, hosted by Macron, was convened amid growing concerns over US President Donald Trump’s direct engagement with Russia and his administration’s intention to exclude the EU from Ukraine peace talks.

The meeting brought together leaders from the UK, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Denmark, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Following the summit, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring lasting peace in Ukraine and enhancing their defense capabilities.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that Europe is “ready and willing to step up,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU was contributing its “full share of the military assistance to Ukraine.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the necessity of US security guarantees to achieve “lasting peace” and deter future Russian aggression, arguing that his country would be ready to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russia is a "real threat to the security and safety of all of Europe, and thus our freedom.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, argued that it was “completely premature and the completely wrong time” to discuss sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the EU should avoid adopting positions that contradict US policy on Ukraine.