Macron terms Putin's partial mobilization as 'mistake', calls for peace talks to end war

President of France, Emmanuel Macron has called the plan by Russia's President Vladimir Putin to order a partial mobilization of Russia's military a "mistake" that will further isolate the country in the global community. Speaking to BFM TV, he asserted that "France wants Ukraine to resist attacks from Russia and for Ukraine to recover its sovereignty." His remarks came after Putin had ordered a partial mobilization of the nation's military through an executive order that will see 3,00,000 reservists of the Russian armed forces on the move towards Russia's border with Ukraine.  

During his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Macron targeted the countries that refused to take a side in Russia’s war against Ukraine dubbing them “complicit” with Moscow’s “new imperialism”. President Macron's remarks were seemingly directed towards the nations that had abstained during a vote on a resolution to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

“Those who are silent today are serving — whether against their will or secretly with a certain complicity — the cause of a new imperialism,” Macron said.  

Making some of his strongest comments since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Macron said Russia’s aggression against Ukraine signified a “return to the age of imperialism and colonies” further stating that the world faced a choice between “war and peace.”

France prioritizes negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine  

Attending the UN general assembly, France's President stressed that the goal remained in place to obtain a negotiated peace deal between Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war between both nations. Macron also expressed to BFM TV that France wanted Ukraine to resist attacks from Russia and recover its sovereignty.  

Earlier this month, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had stated that Moscow “didn’t reject” the idea of negotiations with Kyiv, but warned that it would be harder to find a common ground for such talks, the longer the Ukrainian side delayed them.  

Despite his strong opinion in regards to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Macron assured "we are not at war with Russia".  Further highlighting the West's role in the Ukraine conflict, Macron insisted that “our duty is to hold our line.”  

He went on to accuse Russia of taking "a step towards escalation,” after Putin had stated that Moscow was ready to “use all the means" necessary for the defence "against the entire Western military machine” in Ukraine.