After « convinced the Americans », Emmanuel Macron wants to « increase pressure on Russia » – Liberation

« In the next eight to ten days, we will Increase pressure on Russia»»said Emmanuel Macron on Monday, April 28, in an interview published by the magazine Paris-Matchbelieving to have « Convinced the Americans of the possibility of climbing threats, and potentially sanctions » against Moscow.

« The next fifteen days will be key to trying to implement this ceasefire » wanted by the United States, accepted by Ukraine and defended by Europeans, but to which Russia has not yet subscribedinsisted the French president after the meeting between his American counterparts Donald Trump and Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday at the Vatican.

Emmanuel Macron explained to the weekly that he spoke to the American president from « The night from Wednesday to Thursday to encourage him to adopt a firmer line»» With Vladimir Putin.

The President of the Republic also returned to The Trump-Zelensky interview during the Pope’s funeral to the Vatican. He assured that he « Was not planned » that he « Way President Trump » in the Saint-Pierre basilica in Rome, but they finally have « Exchange for a few minutes ». « I repeated him :  » You have to be much harder with the Russians  » »he reported.

According to him, the third seat initially planned for the meeting between the American and Ukrainian heads of state in the basilica, finally withdrawn, was intended not for him but for the interpreter, but the exchange finally happened in English.

« The objective is that the Americans can go to kyiv fairly quickly, that we can establish the conditions for a ceasefire and that we are working in depth in support measures of this ceasefire to preserve it on the Ukrainian side. We must be ready, with the Americans, to harden the tone towards Russia to obtain this cease-fire ”still insisted the French president.

« I consider that we have succeeded, Thanks to this interview with the Vaticanto put pressure on Russia. It was the goal, because it was not just that the pressure was only exercised on Ukraine ”he said.

In parallel, American diplomacy published the report of a call on Sunday, which had already been announced by Russia, in which Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirms to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that « The United States is determined to facilitate the end of this foolish war ».

Update : At 8:43 p.m., with the addition of Marco Rubio’s words to Sergei Lavrov.