French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rejection of an Olympic truce proposal with Ukraine, saying Putin’s refusal shows the world that he is “not ready for peace.”
“This is a moment of great clarification, because every week until now, President Putin has been claiming that he is ready for peace.” Macron said this week:He spoke in an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin that aired on Thursday.
But with Putin now offering concrete proposals for peace, Macron said in the interview that he would reject them.
“So it is clear to everyone around the world that he is a person who has decided to start a war and is not ready for peace,” Macron said.
The Olympics begin this summer in France on July 26. Macron has long advocated for a truce, pointing out that it is part of a long-standing Olympic tradition.
In an interview with CNBC, Macron said he thought it was important to use the Olympics as an opportunity to make progress towards peace and “maximize the pressure on those who have decided to start a war,” referring to Putin.
Macron also said the Olympics could be a “very good opportunity” to build ties with China and work together towards peace.
“For me a ceasefire is not the end goal. Sustainable peace is the end goal,” he said, “but I think it’s very important to take advantage of this opportunity during the Olympics.”
Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the ceasefire proposal. Putin cited the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to block Russia from officially participating in the games. Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian athletes are allowed to participate, but they must compete under a neutral flag.
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