French president Emmanuel Macron has said he wants to defeat Russia in Ukraine – but does not want to ‘crush’ the nation on its own soil.
Macron has drawn criticism from some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.
‘I want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, and I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position,’ he told French media in an interview published on Saturday.
But he added that France‘s position had ‘never’ been for a ‘total defeat’ of Russia.
‘I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil,’ he told paper Le Journal du Dimanche.
