French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Sunday said that France and its allies are exploring “tailored” solutions and ways for the resolution of the ongoing battle between the Russian and Ukrainian forces, and to halt the fighting. Speaking in an interview with the French magazine Le Journal du Dimanche, Lecornu, for the first time revealed that the French government has been discussing ways to put an end to the brutal war in Kyiv.
‘We are considering possible political solutions’: French Defense Ministry
“Together with our allies, we are considering possible political solutions to end the conflict in Ukraine,” Lecornu said. Furthermore, he told the magazine that French President Emmanuel Macron “has spent hours on discussions” with the warring sides both Russia and Ukraine to negotiate on the conflict, and he “will continue to do so.”It was, therefore, necessary to avoid false assessments and hasty judgments, French Defense Minister noted, citing the example of the missile incident in Poland which may lead to the escalation in the war.
“Escalation may develop very quickly. It is necessary to remain calm and carefully analyze what is happening to avoid any false assessment. Our military intelligence has been looking into the matter since Tuesday together with the United States and the United Kingdom,” Lecornu told French magazine.
France had also earlier adopted a more vocal approach in the ongoing conflict as it rejected Russia’s accusations against Britain on Nord Stream sabotage. French leader Macron labelled the Russian claims as “baseless,” adding that it will only distract the world from the Kremlin’s rampant hostility against Ukraine. Deputy Spokesperson of France’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile in a statement noted, that both sides needed to draw down the accusations and that Kremlin’s remarks were strategic in “turning attention away from its sole responsibility in the war of aggression that it is conducting against Ukraine.” Paris had indirectly hinted that Russia must stop its brutal assaults in Ukraine instead of levelling unsubstantiated charges against collective Europe. It had also condemned Moscow for scrapping the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine.
“By suspending its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia aggravates the global food crisis caused by its aggression against Ukraine,” French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna wrote on Twitter. She had then demanded that Russia “must reconsider its decision with serious consequences.”
