“The EU’s openings.” Emmanuel Macron: “It’s possible Ukraine may have to recognize territorial losses”.

French President Emmanuel Macron does not rule out that a potential peace agreement could require Ukraine to recognize the loss of part of its territory following military action.

“In the context of a truce, a ceasefire, or a peace agreement, the country may have to acknowledge territorial losses,” he said in a video message posted on the Élysée’s X account. “This does not mean recognizing someone else’s sovereignty, but admitting losses due to military operations. It is not contrary to international law, but it remains a very serious concession.”

Macron emphasized that, after three and a half years of conflict and thousands of casualties, no country would agree to cede territory without concrete guarantees for the protection of the rest of its land.

In short, in order to close the matter and move toward what is described as “asset valorization”—achieved, however, at the cost of Ukraine’s loss of sovereignty—and to confirm the stakes for the country’s reconstruction phase, the long-touted “defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” after three years of intensive European discourse, seems destined to be set aside, as was perhaps inevitable.

The French president also recalled that the “coalition of the willing” met on Sunday to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv, a topic that will again be central at today’s summit in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Macron, the coalition aims to define the structure of the Ukrainian army capable of ensuring “a just and lasting peace.”

The French leader further reiterated that several Western countries have expressed willingness to send thousands of troops to Ukraine for training, logistics, and presence in areas not directly involved in combat. The issue, he specified, will be discussed with Trump to clarify the scope of the U.S. contribution.

Photo: Eric Vidal | Copyright: © European Union 2022 – Vidal