Macron outlines two-step approach to deter Russian aggression
Photo: Emmanuel Macron, President of France (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
During a press conference after a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's partners will work on a new security guarantee system to deter Russia from further aggression.
Macron outlined two key elements for deterring Russia following the start of a ceasefire. According to him, the first line of defense will be the Ukrainian army itself.
The French president explained that the model should involve the training and strengthening of Ukrainian troops. He noted that this was a collective reflection at the level of the general staffs, but now all the coalition countries have joined in the discussion.
According to Macron, the second level will be a system of guarantees and deterrence that military allies are currently working on.
He added that discussions at the military level are ongoing about how they see the deployment of contingents and each country's contribution, as well as how to build these guarantees for the long term.
Macron noted that all of Ukraine's partners are now aiming for a ceasefire to begin on Monday.
The French president concluded that they could then implement guarantees that would help deter Russia from further aggression.
Ceasefire to begin on Monday, May 12
On Monday, May 12, a new phase of the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia is set to begin. The initiative involves a complete ceasefire on land, sea, and air for at least 30 days.
Notably, today, May 10, leaders of the Coalition of the Willing arrived in Kyiv. They held talks with the Ukrainian leadership and later established direct communication with US President Donald Trump.
As a result of these talks, Russia was given a clear deadline to agree to a ceasefire by Monday.
Media outlets learned the details of a document in which Ukraine, the US, and the EU outlined a list of conditions for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the ceasefire is set to begin on May 12. At the same time, he mentioned what awaits Russia if it refuses an unconditional ceasefire.
