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Rome — French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday it’s up to Ukraine to decide the time and terms of peace with Russia, and he cautioned that the end of war “can’t be the consecration of the law of the strongest.”
Speaking at the opening of a three-day peace conference in Rome, Macron said the international community will be there when the Ukrainian government chooses that time.
“To stay neutral would mean accepting the world order of the strongest, and I don’t agree with this,” Macron said at the conference organized by a Catholic charity with close ties to the Vatican.
There is concern that support from Ukraine’s allies in Europe might be eroded due to soaring energy costs with the approach of winter.
Pope Francis is scheduled to conclude the Cry for Peace conference, sponsored by the Sant’Egidio Community, with a speech Tuesday at the Colosseum.
Throughout the war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine eight months ago, the pope has warned against an arms buildup. But he has said Ukraine has the right to defend itself.
While Italy’s new premier, far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, is a staunch backer of helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, her coalition allies have pro-Russia sympathies.
Italian state TV broadcaster Rai reported that Meloni and Macron met Sunday evening in Rome.
