"You can't show weakness against Putin": Macron shared what he plans to discuss with Trump.

French President Emmanuel Macron spent over an hour on Thursday evening responding to readers' questions on social media regarding the war in Ukraine, the Russian threat, and European security, as reported by bfmtv.com.

A few hours earlier, the French leader held a lengthy meeting with leaders of parliamentary parties and groups to discuss these issues. He believes that the events surrounding Ukraine put "our security and our interests at stake."

Macron views the situation as“worrying”

The French President stated that Ukraine "cannot reclaim territories occupied by the Kremlin through military means." He called for a "lasting and robust peace that will allow Ukraine to be stable and have security guarantees" and "a peace that suits the Ukrainians themselves."

Macron described three years of war as a "failure for Russia," recalling the "horrific war crimes in Bucha" committed by Russian troops.

"Ukraine has held up remarkably well," noted Macron, while adding that "the situation is concerning."

"Russia has increased its armament (...) and expanded cooperation with Iran," he said.

With the help of North Korean soldiers, Russia has "globalized the war against Ukraine."

Europe must increase defense spending

Macron urged Europeans to boost defense spending and "invest even more in the military sector, both in France and across Europe."

"We will have to reassess our budget allocation," he warned.

In the opinion of the French leader, it will be necessary to "enhance cybersecurity in our social networks, protect ourselves from interference and attacks, because our security is at stake."

France "does not intend to participate in military actions in Ukraine"

"We do not intend to send troops to the war in Ukraine," stated the French President.

He noted that the aim is to "send (to Ukraine) forces to guarantee peace after a peace agreement has been discussed and signed." The goal of the Élysée Palace is to ensure Ukraine's security, he emphasized.

"We talked about sending troops with Britain and other countries," he said, but added that it is currently too early to disclose details.

"Today we are equipping (Ukrainian military), providing weapons, planes," the President reminded.

Macron aims to establish "mass joint European funding" for defense projects

The French President was asked about European defense cooperation. According to him, "creating a unified army will be very difficult," but he explained that he wants to "strengthen the European foundation of security and defense" and the "joint defense capability" of Europe.

To this end, he aims to create "large-scale joint European funding in the coming weeks to purchase and produce more" in the defense sector.

However, Macron warned: if we buy weapons from the U.S., then "we are not increasing our autonomy."

According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies published last October, 34% of defense procurement in Europe was made from American manufacturers.

The President also noted that "we will have to increase" the share of GDP allocated to defense.

Macron responded about what he plans to discuss with Trump

The French President confirmed that he will travel to Washington next week to meet with Trump.

"I plan to tell him: 'You cannot be weak against Putin; he is not you. This does not align with either your style or your interests. How can you be convincing in relations with China if you show weakness before Putin? If you allow Ukraine to be taken, Russia will be impossible to stop. They will take the Ukrainian army and our equipment, which would be a strategic mistake,'" the French President noted.

Elections can only be held in conditions of lasting peace

Macron believes that "President Zelensky is legitimate" and "elected in free elections." This cannot be said about Vladimir Putin, who has been killing his opponents and manipulating elections for a long time.

The French President was asked to comment on Donald Trump's shocking statements, in which he called his Ukrainian counterpart "a dictator without elections" and accused him of starting a war against Russia.

Macron reminded that martial law has been in effect in Ukraine for three years.

"Do you think we would have fun holding elections in such a situation?" he asked.

The French President believes that his Ukrainian counterpart cannot hold elections, emphasizing that this is only possible under conditions of lasting peace.

"Do you think he can organize presidential or parliamentary elections in another country where several million Ukrainians have fled for security?" asked Macron, reminding that "a whole strip of Ukrainian territory has been seized by Russia."

Background. Recall that the French President Emmanuel Macron announced the results of the second summit of the leaders of countries that took place the day before.

"Ukraine must always be involved in negotiations, and its rights must be respected," he stated.

He emphasized that the countries participating in the summit are convinced of the need to increase defense spending, with decisions to be made in the coming days and weeks.