PARIS, Dec 1 The West will not put pressure on Ukraine to force it to start negotiations with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington.
«We will never pressure Ukraine into a compromise that will be unacceptable to her. If we want to achieve a sustainable peace, we must respect the Ukrainians and the fact that they themselves must choose the conditions and the moment for negotiations,» Macron said, when asked if he had discussed with Biden the possibility of involving Ukraine in negotiations with Russia, taking into account the approaching winter and the energy crisis.
The Elysee Palace was broadcast on Twitter.
Earlier, the Washington Post reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is privately asking the Ukrainian leadership to show openness to negotiations with Russia j.
According to sources, the request by US officials is not intended to push Ukraine to the negotiating table, but to ensure that the government in Kyiv retains support from other countries that face voter fears of extending the conflict to Ukraine for years.
Later, White House spokesman John Kirby rejected this message, noting that no one from the United States is pushing Vladimir Zelensky to negotiate with Russia, and Kyiv will decide on its readiness for them.