WARSAW, Poland (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukraine should play a central role in any negotiations over Russia’s war in the country, following a meeting Thursday in Warsaw.
Macron also stressed that Europeans must be involved in security talks in “very close” coordination with the United States to ensure that European interests are taken into account.
The meeting comes after Macron held important talks in Paris on Saturday with newly-elected President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It also comes as Poland will take over the presidency of the European Union just weeks before Trump takes office.
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“We spoke about our joint work for a just peace in Ukraine,” Tusk said in a joint statement with his French counterpart.
“We have a clear position … that Ukraine must be present in every round of talks and every variant, every proposal must also be accepted by our friends in Kiev,” he said.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters against Russia’s large-scale invasion, which began on February 24, 2022.
Tusk was dismissed as “speculation” by sending troops to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire or peace deal.
“Decisions on Polish actions will be made in Warsaw, and only in Warsaw,” he said. “We are not planning any such actions for the time being.”
Macron noted that “the Trump administration is willing to try to change the course of this conflict.”
A day after his meeting with Zelensky, Trump asked Russian leader Vladimir Putin to take action to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. He described this as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war, despite being weeks away from taking office.
“We must work very closely with the Americans, with Ukraine of course, to find a possible path that takes into account the sovereignty and interests of Ukraine and the security and interests of the Europeans,” Macron said.
