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French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Thursday that the country was stepping into a “new era,” emphasizing a stronger stance on global diplomacy. He stated his intention to urge US President Donald Trump to take a firm position on Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that weakness was not an option.
Ahead of his visit to the White House next week for talks with President Trump, Macron spoke to the French people as Europe rushes to reassess its approach to the Ukraine war in light of Washington’s changing position.
“I’m going to tell him: ‘You can’t be weak with President Putin. That’s not who you are, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest’”, Macron said as he answered questions from the French public on social media.
The White House announced that President Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington on Monday, followed by a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday. Trump has unsettled European leaders with his willingness to engage directly with Vladimir Putin in an effort to negotiate an end to Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine—bypassing both Kyiv and other European nations.
Read also: France Will Not Send Troops To Ukraine – President Macron
In recent days French officials have said the French public needed to understand the magnitude of the threat coming from the Kremlin. Macron told reporters earlier this week: “Russia poses an existential threat to Europeans.”
On Thursday, the French president said that France needed to beef up security amid the shock policy shift in US-Russia relations.
“I am convinced that we are entering a new era. It will impose choices on us,” Macron said. “We Europeans must increase our war effort.”
Macron stressed he did not plan to send troops to Ukraine “tomorrow” but indicated that France was considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine following a ceasefire deal with Russia.
“I have not decided to send troops to Ukraine tomorrow, no,” he said.
“What we are considering instead is sending forces to guarantee peace once it has been negotiated,” he said.
