French President Emmanuel Macron denounces a “spirit of defeat” over Ukraine, putting him at odds with US President Donald Trump’s continued push to end the Western countries’ war on Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at a press conference at the Elysée presidential palace, in Paris on September 4, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron has denounced a “spirit of defeat” over Ukraine, putting the European leader at odds with Washington’s continued push to end the Western countries’ war on Russia.
US President Donald Trump, whose policies have been blamed for rising fuel prices in the United States, has called for negotiations to end the war.
Trump said last week he was confident his administration was close to brokering a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.
“I think we’re going to have it done and I think it’s going to happen and they’re going to end up with a little bit different shape,” he said on the CBS News program *60 Minutes* last Sunday.
Macron wrote on X on Saturday, “Let us be clear: those who want to restrict Ukraine’s resources ultimately want to force it into an unjust peace,” leaving the country permanently vulnerable and, by extension, Europe as well.
Macron said accepting an “unjust peace” settlement would weaken European security.
He added, “This is the spirit of defeat. It is a recipe for the next war.”
The outgoing French president insisted European countries must remain committed to supporting Ukraine and strengthening its ability to defend itself.
“Europe must play its full part, because the security of our continent also depends on that peace,” he wrote.
Macron reiterated that France and its partners are preparing “a multinational force” that could be deployed to Ukraine after a ceasefire. Moscow has stated that it would not accept Western troops on Ukrainian territory and would regard them as legitimate military targets.
Russia accuses European leaders of trying to undermine peace negotiations and argues that they must first show goodwill.
Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Ukraine, insisting that negotiations are necessary to resolve the conflict. His approach has raised questions in Europe about the future of US military and political backing for Ukraine.
Macron argued that making territorial concessions to end the conflict should not mean abandoning Ukraine’s sovereignty or allowing the Russian side to dictate the terms of a peace deal.
The French president has called for greater efforts to develop a stronger European position for determining Ukraine’s future.
He has also urged European nations to take greater responsibility for their own defense, warning that the continent cannot depend indefinitely on the US-led NATO alliance for its security.
Russia’s special military operation in eastern Ukraine’s Russian-speaking territories, launched in February 2022, aims to defend mainland Russia against the threat of NATO’s encroachment.
