President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France was entering a "new era" three years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while also stating his intention to tell U.S. President Donald Trump that he must not "be weak" with Vladimir Putin.
Macron also robustly defended Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the embattled leader of war-torn Ukraine, speaking ahead of a planned visit to the White House to meet Trump next week.
Macron has sought to coordinate a European response to Washington's shock policy shift in U.S.-Russia relations, hosting this week two emergency meetings with leaders of EU and non-EU nations including Germany, Britain, Canada and Norway.
He said he wanted the French to grasp the magnitude of the threat coming from the Kremlin, calling Russia "an existential threat to Europeans."
On Thursday, Macron, 47, said in a question-and-answer session on social media that France was entering a "new era."
"We are entering an era in which each of us must ask what we can do for the French nation and the Republic," Macron said after discussing Ukraine with party leaders earlier in the day.
Trump has sent shock waves around Europe by saying he is ready to resume diplomacy with Putin to end Russia's war against Ukraine, over the heads of European countries and Kyiv.
Trump will meet in Washington with Macron on Monday and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday next week, the White House said.
"I'm going to tell him: 'You can't be weak with President Putin. That's not who you are, it's not your trademark, it's not in your interest,'" Macron said.
"I will tell him: 'If you let Ukraine be taken, Russia will not stop," he said.
"Not only will it be even stronger, it will continue to invest, but it will take over Ukraine and its army, which is one of the largest in Europe, with all our equipment, including American equipment,'" he added, saying it would be a "huge strategic mistake."
Macron insisted it was in Trump's interest to work with Europeans, pointing to Europe's "capacity for growth" and economic potential.
But he also sought to put a brave face on days of head-spinning U.S. declarations, saying that the "uncertainty" generated by the U.S. president should be "used" against Putin.
Macron also said France and Europe needed to beef up security and that the threat from Russia "will force us to make very strong choices for ourselves, for our defense and our security."
"We Europeans must increase our war effort," he added.
Macron stressed he did not plan to send troops to Ukraine "tomorrow" but indicated that France was considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine following a cease-fire deal with Russia.
"I have not decided to send troops to Ukraine tomorrow, no," he said.
"What we are considering instead is sending forces to guarantee peace once it has been negotiated," he said.
France is working with European countries to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire agreement, a source familiar with the discussions told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Macron threw his weight behind Zelenskyy after Trump branded the 47-year-old Ukrainian leader a "dictator."
Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump have exploded this week in a series of escalating barbs traded in press conferences and on social media.
"He is a president elected in a free system," Macron said, referring to the Ukrainian president.
"This is not the case for Vladimir Putin, who has been killing his opponents and manipulating his elections for a long time."
Alexei Navalny, the charismatic leader of the Russian opposition, died on Feb. 16, 2024, in an Arctic penal colony in unclear circumstances. His family and supporters say his murder was sanctioned by the Kremlin.
Macron said he planned to speak to Zelenskyy later Thursday.
