French President Macron: Proposal for a One-Month Local Ceasefire in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Sunday (March 2nd) that France and the UK suggest a “partial ceasefire” in Ukraine following the summit of European leaders in London, which would involve a localized truce for one month.

In an interview with Le Figaro, Macron stated that France and the UK aim to promote a ceasefire in Ukraine concerning “aerial, naval, and energy infrastructure,” excluding ground combat at least in the initial phase.

He pointed out the challenge of verifying and confirming the compliance of local ceasefire agreements due to the extensive front lines, noting that it would be very difficult to confirm the cessation of front line fighting under the ceasefire. Macron added that the current front line’s length is equivalent to the distance between Paris and Budapest.

According to the proposed plan by the UK and France, European ground forces will only be deployed to Ukraine in the second phase of the ceasefire. Macron emphasized, “There will be no European forces on the Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks.”

Macron further stated, “The question is how we use this time to achieve a ceasefire. Negotiations will take weeks, and then after signing a peace agreement, we deploy (peacekeeping) forces.”

When asked about his knowledge of the plan, Zelensky informed reporters in London, “I know all about these.”

Macron also emphasized the necessity for France and other European countries to increase defense spending, which may involve raising military spending to 3% to 3.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He highlighted, “For the past three years, Russia has allocated 10% of its GDP to defense, so we must prepare for the next steps.”

He added that the European Commission should be more innovative in securing funding sources for defense spending.

Moreover, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, Macron stressed the need for “strong” Italian assistance in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ruled out Italy’s potential contribution of peacekeeping troops to Ukraine during the crisis summit, asserting that it “will never be on the agenda.”

Macron emphasized, “We need a powerful Italy, standing side by side with France, under the unified cooperation of all the great nations.”