At the Munich Security Conference held on February 13, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the importance of European countries participating in negotiations with Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine. This was reported by Le Monde.
Macron highlighted the need to create a "transparent communication channel" with Russia. He noted that for successful negotiations, Europe must be in a "strong position" and called for the active development of defensive capabilities, including long-range systems.
According to the president, even if the conflict with Ukraine ends, Europe will not be able to avoid confrontation with an aggressive Russia. He stressed that it will be necessary to define "rules of coexistence" with Russia to minimize the risk of escalation after a peace agreement is signed, which was also noted in a report by Reuters and quoted in Le Figaro.
"Europeans must initiate this work on their own, guided by their interests and understanding of the situation. I propose to start a series of consultations on this important issue," Macron stated, urging other European countries to join the discussions already underway between France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
He also advocated for the need to restructure the security architecture in Europe, including a review of the concept of nuclear deterrence.
