France has made it clear that Ukraine must receive “robust security guarantees” before any peace talks where Kyiv would give up territory to Moscow, President Emmanuel Macron’s team said on Tuesday, December 16th.
This approach to a peace settlement, as a partial step to end the war, has fuelled concerns that the European Union and some Western leaders have long been prioritising long-term strategic objectives over an immediate ceasefire. In the meantime, Hungary and Slovakia have continued to voice support for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of peace negotiations. Both governments argue that prolonging the war through rigid preconditions and escalating commitments only increases the risk of further destabilisation in Europe.
Following talks in Berlin, a Macron adviser stated
We want robust security guarantees first before any discussions on territory. We’ve made progress on the issue of guarantees… thanks to a clarification on the form of U.S. support.
The Berlin meeting involved Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. envoys, and European leaders.
