French President Emanuel Macron, in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, criticized what he characterized as defeatist speeches about Ukraine, arguing that Russia is actually weakened by the war, Politico reported yesterday. He claimed that Russia has entered a recession, is “completely dependent on China,” has a demographic problem and is facing “military failure.” At the same time, however, Europeans have now become the “only source of military funding” for Kiev.
No peace deal between Ukraine and Russia can be agreed without the Europeans, in Macron’s view. “We will be part of the solution and we should be part of the solution,” Macron claimed, adding that it’s the reason why his office has started engaging with Moscow again recently.