'We must not humiliate Russia,' says French President Emmanuel Macron
In an interview published Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said allowing Russia to save face could help bring a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. "We must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means," he said.
So far, though, Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of backing down. In an interview broadcast Sunday, he threatened to "strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting" if Western countries provided long-range missiles to Ukraine.
The French president's remarks drew swift condemnation from Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that "[c]alls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Friday, President Biden declined to rule out a negotiated settlement that would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in exchange for peace.
Russian forces are close to capturing the entirety of Luhansk Oblast. The twin cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk form the last major pocket of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk.
Russian forces seized control of most of the city last week, but Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said Saturday that, following a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Sievierodonetsk's residential districts were "divided in half" between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
"Street battles are being fought, which is accompanied by constant artillery shelling. The situation is quite tense, but ... [t]he city remains Ukrainian," Striuk said.
Update 12:30 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to strike new targets.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 23, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - qualifications, tax cuts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Long summer days in Iceland's highlands
The Week Recommends While many parts of this volcanic island are barren, there is a 'desolate beauty' to be found in every corner
By The Week UK Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The North Korean troops readying for deployment in Ukraine
The Explainer Third country wading into conflict would be 'the first step to a world war' Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned
By The Week UK Published
-
Experts call for a Nato bank to 'Trump-proof' military spending
Under The Radar A new lender could aid co-operation and save millions of pounds, say think tanks
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What happens if Russia declares war on Nato?
Today's Big Question Fears are growing after Vladimir Putin's 'unusually specific warning' to Western governments
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Missile escalation: will long-range rockets make a difference to Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Kyiv is hoping for permission to use US missiles to strike deep into Russian territory
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Atesh: the Ukrainian partisans taking on Russia
Under The Radar Underground resistance fighters are risking their lives to defend their country
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
'Second only to a nuclear bomb' – the controversial arms Russia is using in Ukraine
The Explainer Thermobaric bombs 'capable of vaporising human bodies' have been used against Ukraine
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The peaceful archipelago that may take up arms
Under The Radar Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left the Åland Islands 'peculiarly vulnerable'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published