French Defense minister says Ukraine cannot be left without arms
(MENAFN) French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu has stated that Europe cannot accept a scenario in which Ukraine is left without a military or excluded from NATO, marking this as a red line in negotiations with Russia.
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.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
