Boris Johnson 2.0? Macron Grumbles Over Putin’s Ceasefire Initiative
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures at the Elysee Palace as French left-wing coalition accuses Emmanuel Macron of denying democracy after he has rejected the New Popular Front’s candidate to form a new government following last month’s inconclusive election, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in Paris.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin proposed peace talks with Ukraine on May 15 without any preconditions. He did not rule out the possibility of reaching a ceasefire during such talks, adding that it’s up to Ukraine and its Western backers to respond.Vladimir Putin’s proposal is “a first step, but not enough,” Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. “An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,” the French president told reporters as he stepped off a train in the Polish city of Przemysl on his return from Ukraine. He claimed that the Russian president was “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time”. When making his offer of talks, Vladimir Putin had noted that “those who really want peace cannot but support this.” He also reminded that it was Ukraine that cut off negotiations in Istanbul in 2022. It is worth recalling that then-British PM Boris Johnson flew to Ukraine on NATO’s behest to tell Zelensky to scrap the 2022 peace plan.WorldZelensky Will Reject Putin’s Proposal in Order to Stay ALIVE – Ex-Pentagon Analyst04:28 GMT