Macron holds NATO accountable for Ukraine war

Shafaq News – Paris / Kyiv

French President Emmanuel Macron blamed NATO for the crisis in Ukraine, according to the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano on Saturday.

The newspaper, citing US economist Jeffrey Sachs, reported that Macron wanted this point made public because it troubled him.

The disclosure came after a meeting in Paris last week of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” chaired by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Macron. The French president announced that 26 countries had committed to deploying a deterrence force in Ukraine after a ceasefire, adding that the coalition would soon begin work on the legal and political aspects of security guarantees for Kyiv.

The coalition, formed in 2025, brings together Western and allied states to coordinate military and political support for Ukraine outside the formal NATO framework, reflecting divisions within NATO over direct involvement in the war.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that any scenario involving the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine is “completely unacceptable” to Moscow and would risk severe escalation. The Kremlin also accused European states of obstructing peace talks with Ukraine, while stressing Moscow’s readiness to negotiate.