PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that Vladimir Putin is “lying” about his desire to peacefully end the war in Ukraine, pointing to the Kremlin’s massive attack on Kyiv earlier in the day that left at least eight people dead.
“Putin must stop lying at last,” a visibly impassioned Macron said of the Russian president, speaking to reporters while on a visit to Madagascar. “He continues to bomb Ukraine, he continues to kill people in Ukraine.”
Macron’s comments come at a make-or-break moment for the American-led efforts to bring about a peaceful settlement to stop the fighting. The deal Washington has proposed includes possible territorial concessions, including recognizing Crimea — which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014 — as Russian territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday posted exasperatedly about Ukraine’s hesitance to accept that demand and criticized Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Macron, however, said Trump’s ire should be aimed squarely at Putin.
“There is an aggressor, Russia, and there is a victim, Ukraine,” Macron said. “American frustration should be directed at only one person: President Putin.”
While Trump has been particularly critical of Zelenskyy, he said he was “not happy” with Putin after Thursday’s deadly attack on the Ukrainian capital.
“Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Veronika Melkozerova, Giorgio Leali and Elena Giordiano contributed to this report.
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