Macron wants to make an advance
Putin is open to a ceasefire at the Olympics
March 18, 2024, 10:48 a.m
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As host of the Olympic Games, French President Macron sees it as his duty and wants to send a message of peace. He will probably ask Russia for a ceasefire during the competitions. Vladimir Putin’s initial reaction is cautious.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown himself open in principle to the proposal for a ceasefire during the Summer Olympics in Paris. But he had not yet heard of a corresponding proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron, he said at the press conference after his re-election. “In any case, we will always proceed from Russia’s interests and the situation on the battlefield,” said the Kremlin chief.
Earlier, Macron confirmed in an interview on Ukrainian television that Paris would ask Moscow for a ceasefire during the Olympics, which take place from July 26 to August 11. “The rule of the host country is to develop in the rhythm of the Olympic movement. This is a message of peace,” Macron said.
Russian athletes will be allowed to take part in the competitions in Paris under a neutral flag. In this context, Putin said that international officials were distorting the meaning of the Olympic movement through such restrictions.
Moscow wants peace on its terms
The Russian leadership has repeatedly claimed in the past that it is ready for peace negotiations. However, Putin, who launched the war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine more than two years ago, wants peace on his terms.
Among other things, Kiev should cede large areas to Moscow, forgo joining NATO and foregoing its own powerful army. During the press conference, the Kremlin chief did not rule out further conquests, for example in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine considers Moscow’s peace conditions to be unacceptable and is demanding a complete withdrawal of Kremlin troops from the entire territory – including the Crimean peninsula.