French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed that Ukraine might ultimately need to accept losing some of its territory as part of any possible peace deal with Russia.
Responding in a video message posted Sunday on the X account of the Elysee Palace and quoted by Russian news agency Tass, Macron stated: "As part of a truce, a ceasefire or a peace agreement, the nation can admit the loss of territories."
He clarified that such recognition would not imply accepting another state’s sovereignty over the regions but rather acknowledging that they were lost due to military action. “It doesn’t run counter to international law, but will be a very serious concession,” he added.
Macron also underlined the fact that no country would consent to sacrificing land without strong assurances of safety for what is left. "Following three-and-a-half years of war and so many victims, no country will accept even real losses of territory if it has no guarantee that the rest of its territory will be defended," he said.
As per the French president, representatives of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" met on Sunday to negotiate security guarantees for Kyiv—negotiations that will resume on Monday in Washington at a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
He added that the coalition wants to determine "the configuration of the Ukrainian army that will allow for collective guarantees of a lasting and equitable peace."
Macron also disclosed that some Western nations are willing to deploy thousands of soldiers into Ukraine to assist in stability after the war is over. "Certain states are willing to do this: from training and logistics to presence in non-conflict zones, i.e. not on the frontline or occupied territories," he stated, adding that the issue would also be discussed with Trump to decide the degree of U.S. involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on August 18 for the summit. He will accompany Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also attend.
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