PARIS (AP) – French President Emmanuel Macron says that while dialogue with Russia is essential, “clear red lines” must be drawn that carry possible sanctions with Moscow on Ukraine.
Referring to the recent build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, Macron said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS News: “We will never accept new military operations on Ukrainian soil.” The West must show diplomacy and credibility in doing so, he said.
“And I think that after unacceptable behavior, we have to sanction,” Macron said when asked about the possibility of sanctions. “And I think we need to define clear red lines with Russia. That’s the only way to be credible. “
However, he added: “I think the sanctions are not enough in themselves, but the sanctions are part of the package.”
The interview was broadcast on Sunday on “Make the Nation”. It was recorded after Macron met in Paris on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the two held a virtual conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron and Merkel have called for the withdrawal of Russian troops concentrated in western Russia as tensions with neighboring Ukraine increase.
The United States and NATO have described the accumulation as the largest since 2014, when Russia annexed the Ukrainian Peninsula from Crimea and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. More than 14,000 people died during the seven-year conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Germany and France contributed to the negotiation of a peace agreement in 2015 for eastern Ukraine in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Since taking office in 2017, Macron has worked for a constructive dialogue with Russia on a number of issues and has continued to promote the need for dialogue in the “Make the Nation” interview.
“I am sure that President (Vladimir) Putin may be ready to reopen the dialogue,” the French leader said. “We need an open and honest dialogue with Russia” on a range of issues, from arms control to stabilizing global crises.