French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged Europe to develop a “clear” and “united” vision for Ukraine and its own future, stressing the need for a common peace proposal and security framework.
“Today, what is most important is for Europe to have a clear and united vision of what it wants for Ukraine and for itself,” Macron told reporters ahead of the European Political Community summit in Dublin.
He reiterated that Europe’s objectives included providing Ukraine with military capabilities and financing, as well as developing solutions to the conflict. He also emphasized the need for Europe to take the initiative in resuming discussions with Russia.
“Europe is very clear about its support for Ukraine. We must now clarify our own position on what our peace proposal is and what a future security architecture should look like,” Macron added.
He described a planned declaration and charter outlining common principles for Europe’s future security as “particularly important.”
“At a time when many would like to see Europe excluded from discussions concerning its security and stability, this declaration is extremely important because it builds on everything we have done over the past decade,” Macron underscored.
He said European countries were also pursuing joint security initiatives, warning of growing threats to democracy, including information attacks, manipulation and foreign interference.
Macron also expressed “deep concern” over a recent wave of bomb alerts and threats across the region that disrupted numerous flights and rail services in several countries.
“We are, of course, remaining extremely vigilant (…) As I speak, we do not have sufficiently established evidence to make an attribution. Therefore, at this stage, we cannot say that foreign powers are behind these calls,” he added.