After a tense meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the United Kingdom and France have moved closer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. French President Emmanuel Macron recently proposed a new ceasefire to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, Macron shared details of his proposal. He stated that he does not believe in any peace process or ceasefire based solely on negotiations between the U.S. and Russia. Instead, he argued that if Ukraine agrees to a ceasefire proposed by these two parties, it could face continuous humiliation from Russia in the future. This is because Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his desire to demilitarize Ukraine.
According to Macron’s proposal, both Russia and Ukraine would halt attacks on each other’s air, sea, and energy infrastructure for at least one month, while ground warfare would continue.
After a month, the proposal envisions a permanent ceasefire, with European peacekeeping forces deployed to ensure Ukraine’s security. However, Macron clarified that this does not mean European troops would immediately establish a presence in Ukraine. Instead, negotiations with Russia could continue for several weeks, with peacekeepers entering only after a formal ceasefire agreement is signed.
The peacekeeping force would be led by the UK and France. Macron described the proposal as a test to determine whether President Putin genuinely wishes to end the conflict. “If Putin truly wants peace, he should accept this proposal,” he said.
On Sunday, Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a brief meeting in London, with Zelensky also present. After the meeting, Starmer expressed his willingness to send a joint France-UK military force to Ukraine if a peace agreement is signed.
However, Moscow rejected Macron’s proposal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated, “Moscow wants a long-term ceasefire with legally binding conditions that address the root causes of this war.” He criticized the proposal as one that could escalate the conflict rather than resolve it. Lavrov warned that without a United Nations mandate, any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Russian forces.