Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) – France is unwilling to make concessions to Russia and wants Ukraine to win the war against Moscow’s invading forces by restoring its territorial integrity, a French presidential official said on Friday. Paris is trying to allay concerns about his stance. in the conflict. President Emanuel Macron has been criticized by Ukraine and its Eastern European allies following interviews published Saturday, saying it was vital not to “humiliate” Russia so that a diplomatic solution could be reached when the fighting was over. read more “As the president said, we want a Ukrainian victory. We want to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” the official told reporters when asked about Macron’s humiliating remarks. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Macron has spoken regularly with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the February 24 invasion as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire and start credible negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, although he has had no tangible success. “There is no concession to Putin or Russia in what the president says when he speaks directly to him, it is not a compromise, but to say how we see things.” The official defended Macron’s position, reiterating that there should be a solution to the war through negotiations and arguing that the president’s comments were not always fully taken into account. Paris, he said, was a major supporter of sanctions and provided strong military support to Ukraine. Some Eastern and Baltic partners in Europe see Macron as open to dialogue with Putin, undermining efforts to push Putin to the negotiating table. Amid his illness, Macron will travel to Romania and Moldova on June 14-15 to show Paris’ support for two of the countries most exposed to events in Ukraine. France has about 500 troops on the ground and has deployed a surface-to-air missile system as part of a NATO-led combat team in Romania. The official said Macron would visit his troops to underscore Paris’s commitment to the alliance. Macron has not gone to Kyiv to offer symbolic political support like other EU leaders, and Ukraine wanted him. The presidential official did not rule out a visit to Macron. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Elizabeth Pineau and John Irish. curated by Grant McCool Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
