Macron warns that an unjust peace for Ukraine would leave Europe vulnerable

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that restricting assistance to Ukraine and pushing it towards an unjust peace would weaken security across Europe and prepare the ground for another war. In a post on X, he argued that helping Ukraine defend itself also protects France and its people.

Macron said the consequences of Russia forcing its will on a European country through brutality would extend across the continent. He described efforts to ration Ukraine's resources as an attempt to compel it to accept an unfair settlement, leaving both Ukraine and Europe vulnerable over the long term. He rejected that approach as defeatist and said France could not adopt it.

“This is a recipe for the next war,” Macron said. His remarks tied the terms of any peace in Ukraine directly to the security of other European countries. He also described Ukraine as having Europe's leading conventional army and said it had an important role to play in NATO, where he believed it belonged.

The French president outlined his position while explaining why Ukraine had again featured prominently in discussions at the ninth summit of the European Political Community and an informal European Council meeting in Dublin. He said the meetings had demonstrated unity around two priorities: supporting Ukraine through the winter and working towards a just and lasting peace.

On winter assistance, Macron called for financial support to continue alongside help protecting Ukraine's population and energy infrastructure. He specifically identified power plants and electricity grids as assets that needed protection, placing that work within the broader effort to help the country get through the winter.

Macron said the pursuit of peace must be undertaken with Ukraine and involve a full European role. He linked Europe's participation to its own security, saying the continent's safety also depended on the peace that was achieved.

Separately, following talks in Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Their discussions included agreements with the European Union on additional assistance for Ukraine over the winter.

Zelenskyy and the EU leaders also coordinated their positions on opening the final two negotiating clusters in Ukraine's EU accession process. They discussed the next steps towards membership alongside the additional support intended to help Ukraine through the winter.