French Defense minister says Ukraine cannot be left without arms
In an interview published on Wednesday, Lecornu told a French magazine that allowing Ukraine to be demilitarized while also denying it NATO membership would be inconsistent with Europe’s strategic goals. “Our absolute red line is the demilitarization of Ukraine,” he said. “We must be coherent. One cannot refuse Ukraine entry into NATO and at the same time accept that it no longer has an army,” he added.
Moscow has repeatedly outlined its conditions for ending the conflict, demanding that Ukraine adopt a neutral status, recognize changes to its borders, ensure non-discrimination against Russian-speaking citizens, and undergo both demilitarization and what it calls denazification. Kyiv has so far rejected all of these terms.
Ukraine submitted a formal request for accelerated NATO membership in September 2022, several months after the conflict intensified. Although Western allies initially voiced support, the path to accession has remained unclear, and enthusiasm for the move has weakened amid military difficulties and changing U.S. priorities.
France’s position reinforces European opposition to any peace deal that would strip Ukraine of its defense capabilities while failing to offer it security guarantees through NATO.
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