Macron calls Putin 'predator' and 'ogre at our gates'
Mr. Macron's remarks came as Russian and Ukrainian presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky looked set for a peace summit after fast-moving talks Monday between Donald Trump and European leaders that focused on the key issue of long-term security guarantees for Kyiv.
"Putin has rarely honoured his commitments," Mr. Macron told the LCI broadcaster. "He has constantly been a force for destabilisation. He has sought to redraw borders to increase his power."
Mr. Macron said he did not believe that Russia would "return to peace and a democratic system from one day to the next".
Mr. Putin, "including for his own survival, needs to keep eating", Mr. Macron said. "That means he is a predator, an ogre at our gates."
This did not mean that France would "come under attack tomorrow", Mr. Macron said, "but of course this is a threat to Europe (...) let's not be naive."
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