Emmanuel Macron warns Putin is aiming to ‘control Ukraine’ not just Donbas

French leader says EU should back Ukraine with weapons as well as sanctions

Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aim was to “control all of Ukraine” and not just the eastern Donbas region that has been the focus of Moscow’s recent offensive.

Speaking at a news conference following EU talks in Brussels, the French president said the bloc should back Ukraine with weapons as well as sanctions and warned that the conflict could last for months.

“We must support Ukraine’s resistance by providing it with military equipment,” he said, adding that international partners should also “strengthen sanctions” on Russia.

Macron said Putin’s goal was to “control all of Ukraine” and that the Russian leader had “prepared for a long war” that could last for months.

“We must prepare ourselves for a long conflict,” he said. “It could last for months, even years.”

Macron’s comments came as Russian forces continued to pound Ukrainian cities, with the besieged port of Mariupol facing a humanitarian catastrophe.

The French president said the EU should “continue to provide humanitarian and financial aid” to Ukraine and to support the country’s reconstruction once the conflict ends.

“We must also prepare for the day when the fighting stops,” he said. “We must help Ukraine rebuild and modernise its economy and its institutions.”

Macron’s warning about Putin’s intentions came as the Russian president held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Moscow.

The Kremlin said the talks had been “businesslike” but that there had been no “breakthrough” on the issue of Ukraine.