The leaders of France and Germany on Friday vowed to step up pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine, warning that President Vladimir Putin was showing little appetite to end Moscow’s three-and-a-half year onslaught against its neighbour.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin would have “played” US President Donald Trump if he failed to fulfil a pledge to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added it looked like Putin was “unwilling” to hold such a meeting and said that the war looked like it would last “many more months”.
Both countries meanwhile agreed to send additional air defence hardware to Ukraine after deadly Russian attacks on Kyiv, and to open a strategic dialogue about nuclear deterrence.
The moves came as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict sparked by Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbour appear to have lost steam after Trump moved to restore dialogue with Moscow at the start of his second presidency.
Macron expressed hope that a Putin-Zelensky meeting would take place, but said if the Russian leader did not meet a Monday deadline to agree to the talks “it will show again President Putin has played President Trump”.
“I think this is not a good thing for us all. This cannot stay without response,” Macron said.
“I hope it (the meeting between Putin and Zelensky) takes place but if not… we will push for primary and secondary sanctions which will pressure Russia and force it to come to the negotiating table,” Macron said.
Macron also showed no regret for describing Putin earlier this month as an “ogre at our gates”, comments which angered Moscow.
“We say there is an ogre at the gates of Europe… this is very much what the Georgians (after a 2008 invasion) and Ukrainians and many other nations feel very deeply,” he said.
“That is a man who has decided to go down an authoritarian path and impose imperialism to change international frontiers.”
After deadly drone and missile attacks on Kyiv on Thursday, Macron also warned that Putin had a habit of saying one thing at international talks and then acting differently.
“The gap between President Putin’s positions at international summits and the reality on the ground shows how insincere he is,” he said.
Merz said that Russia’s war against Ukraine could yet go on for “many more months”, adding that he had “no illusions” about the prospects of a swift conclusion.
He vowed that “we will not abandon Ukraine” but said it looked like Putin was showing “no readiness” to meet with Zelensky.
“To be frank that does not surprise me as this is part of this Russian president’s strategy,” Merz said.
Their meeting in the southern French port city of Toulon came after Russian missiles and drones ripped through apartment blocks in Kyiv on Thursday in the deadliest attack on the capital in months, killing at least 23 people including four children and wounding around 50 others.
“France and Germany will provide additional air defence to Ukraine,” Germany and France said in a joint statement after the talks.
“Despite intensive international diplomatic efforts, Russia shows no intention to end its war of aggression against Ukraine,” they added.
The two countries added that France — the EU’s only nuclear-armed power — and Germany are to open a “strategic dialogue” over nuclear deterrence in light of shared security challenges.
The two countries noted that nuclear deterrence was a “cornerstone” of NATO security.
