Emmanuel Macron criticised the US-Russian talks on Ukraine by saying that “the future of Europe” and its security could not be decided either in Moscow or Washington.

In his address to the nation, delivered on television Wednesday night by the French President, he called for “long term support” to Ukraine. This could include “sending European soldiers to Ukraine”, in order to prevent a “fragile truce”.

Mr Macron stated that a peace agreement with Ukraine could be supported “perhaps by the deployment” of European forces. They won’t fight today and they won’t fight in the front lines, but they will be there to ensure that a peace agreement is respected.

He said, “I want the United States to stand by us.” This was in response to the growing concern over the US’s changing foreign policy. We need to be prepared in case that’s not the situation.

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In addition to the suspension of military aid, the Trump administration has reduced intelligence sharing with Ukraine to force Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate.

Mr Macron said it would be “stupid” to stay a spectator in a world full of danger, adding that Russia had turned the conflict in Ukraine into “a global conflict”.

He warned that Russia was planning to expand its military by 2030. “By then, Russia wants to have an army of 300,000 extra soldiers and 3,000 additional jet fighters. Who can believe, in this context, that Russia will stop with Ukraine?”

According to European diplomats, France and Britain are trying to be a bridge to Washington and Kyiv and are hoping to finalise the peace plan between Ukraine and Washington “in days”.

One senior European diplomat said that the plan would be ready in days, not weeks. Another stated that the priority was to have all “ducks lined-up”, including a healthier dialogue between the US & Ukraine.

Nuclear umbrella

During his speech, Mr Macron revealed that he would be gathering all European army commanders in Paris next week to “guarantee the future peace in Ukraine”.

He said he would open discussions about extending France’s nuclear umbrella to protect European allies, in response to calls by Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, who asked for his country to be protected by either the UK or France’s nuclear shields.

Mr Macron concluded his speech with a harsh warning: “Our generations will no longer reap the benefits of peace.” We must ensure that tomorrow our children will reap the benefits of our efforts. We will therefore face the future as a team.”

He said that the French president would be responsible for any nuclear weapon decisions.

The US intelligence suspension has been deemed a vital component in Ukraine’s ability defend itself from Russian missiles, launch long-range attacks against Moscow’s forces, and protect its citizens.

Mike Waltz, US national security advisor, and Mr Zelensky’s chief of Staff spoke on Wednesday to discuss the “next steps towards a lasting peace”.

Andriy Yerimak stated that he “exchanged opinions on security issues and aligned positions” with Mr Walz and scheduled future US-Ukraine discussions.

Mr Walz had said that the US would lift the ban on the sharing of weapons and intelligence if they could “nail the negotiations” adding that the negotiating teams were “talking about a place, a time”.

The news was released a day after US President Donald Trump suspended all military assistance to Ukraine. This prompted Zelensky, to publicly promise to negotiate “as quickly as possible” in order to try to repair the rift he had with the US president.