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Macron Warns Against “Rushed Peace,” Calls Putin “An Ogre at Our Doorstep”
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Any peace deal for Ukraine must not amount to surrender, stressing that “a rushed peace” would only reward Russia’s aggression and undermine the global order built over the past 70 years, French President Emmanuel Macron said in the interview with TF1 on August 19.
Speaking after the Washington summit, Macron confirmed that Western partners have for the first time begun concrete work on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
“This peace cannot be Ukraine’s capitulation—that would be a tragedy for Ukraine and for Europeans. A nuclear-armed state would have moved closer to our borders and advanced further. It would be the collapse of the international order,” Macron said. He emphasized that the guarantees, while not NATO membership—which Donald Trump opposes—must “deter the Russians with a strong Ukrainian army capable of resisting a new invasion.”
Another outcome of the Washington summit was the launch of work on security guarantees for Ukraine. “For the first time, we confirmed that we are starting the process of working on security guarantees,” Macron said. He explained that a “coalition of the willing” is being formed in coordination with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alongside consultations with the United States on what each partner is ready to contribute.
The French leader also confirmed that talks are underway to organize the first direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin since February 2022. The summit could take place “in Europe,” in a neutral country rather than in France, where the last talks took place in 2019.
“Maybe Switzerland—I am pleading for Geneva. Or another country: the last bilateral negotiations were in Istanbul,” Macron said.
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He added that the plan would involve three stages: a bilateral Zelenskyy–Putin meeting, then a trilateral format with Trump, followed by a wider multilateral summit with European leaders.
At the same time, Macron cautioned against illusions. “We must not be naïve… President Putin has rarely kept his promises. I am not saying that France will be attacked tomorrow, but he is a threat to Europeans.”
“A country that invests 40% of its budget in such equipment, that has mobilized an army of more than 1.3 million men, will not return overnight to being a nation with an open democratic system. Let us not be naïve. For his own survival as well, (Putin) needs to keep feeding. He is a predator, an ogre at our doorstep,” he added
Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold a meeting within the next two weeks.
