Paris (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said in a news interview that the Ukrainian peacekeeping force’s residence is a problem for the decision to Kiev rather than Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a news interview.
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been eager to consolidate military support for Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump reached a peace deal with Russia. Starmer held a virtual meeting with Macron and other non-U.S. allies on Saturday.
“Ukraine is sovereignty. If the Allies are required to be on its territory, it is not Russia’s acceptance or not,” Macron said in a joint interview with several French regional newspapers published late Saturday.
Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of soldiers from NATO countries stationed in Ukraine.
Macron said any peacekeeping force would be composed of “a few thousand soldiers from each country” and deployed at key locations, adding that many European and non-European countries are interested in participation.
But, like other aspects of a potential truce, the form of any peacekeeping force remains uncertain.
Both Britain and France say they can send peacekeepers to Ukraine, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country also accepts the demand.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he primarily supports the proposal of a ceasefire between Washington and Ukraine, but his troops will continue to fight until several key conditions are laid out.
Officials said earlier Sunday that Russia and Ukraine continued to strike at each other, causing injury and damage.
(Reported by Gus Trompiz and Tangi Salaun; Editor of Louise Paradise)
