In China, Macron urges preserving transatlantic unity against Russia
On an official visit to China, Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed the need to maintain transatlantic unity and to relentlessly continue support for Ukraine. The head of state called for continuing to put pressure on Moscow while pursuing diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
On Friday, the French president urged Europeans and Americans not to give in to “the spirit of division” and to maintain a constant “war effort” in the face of Russia. “We must maintain the effort, continue the discussions preparing for peace, but also increase the pressure, notably on the Russian economy”, he said to reporters. He also considered “indispensable” the unity between the United States and Europe on the Ukraine file.
Macron stressed the importance of leaving no gap between the two sides of the Atlantic. “We need the United States to achieve peace. The United States needs us for it to be robust and lasting”, he said.
According to Der Spiegel, Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and several European leaders have recently expressed distrust of the Trump administration, which is trying to negotiate an outcome to the conflict. The German magazine reports that during a phone call on Monday with his European counterparts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron reportedly raised the risk “that the United States would betray Ukraine on the question of territory without clear security guarantees”.
Asked about this, the French president did not confirm having used the term “betrayal”, but said that Europeans and Americans remained “aligned” on the security guarantees to be offered to Ukraine. He also reported “in-depth” exchanges with Xi Jinping during his trip, reminding that both Paris and Brussels want to see Beijing exert its influence on Moscow to help bring an end to the war.
Despite these discussions, no notable shift in the Chinese position was observed at the end of the visit. Emmanuel Macron said, however, that he had perceived “a willingness” from President Xi to “contribute to stability and peace”, believing that the European arguments in favor of a peace “robust and lasting” had been heard. “Yes, we have moved forward”, he concluded.
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