I know NATO wants a civil tone to everything and a return of peace, but, it is fully unrealistic to expect that to occur. We are in a horrible place because Vladimir Putin decided to use war and death as a political goal. The war into Ukraine is his politics at work.
If Putin were to agree to a ceasefire, it would be to retool and find more conscripts within Russia. It would be a break in the action to allow for greater destruction. He would also find a lie to tell in order to reengage in a greater effort and break whatever ceasefire were in effect blaming it all on the Nazis from Ukraine.
If President Macron strongly believes peace is still possible then he should pursue it with vigor. But, he should be prepared that it is only an opportunity for Putin to rework his war effort. Putin has already allowed three peace treaties to fail literally without them ever taking hold. He continued to arm the rebels while they broke the treaties. How many times does The West allow itself to be kicked in the butt on a global stage before they "get it?"
Paris - French President Emmanuel Macron (click here) said it is vital that Russia is not humiliated so that when the fighting stops in Ukraine a diplomatic solution can be found, adding that he believed Paris would play a mediating role to end the conflict.
Macron has sought to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. His stance has been repeatedly criticised by some eastern and Baltic partners in Europe, as they see it as undermining efforts to pressure Putin to the negotiating table....
