The French president notably called for having “no weakness, no spirit of compromise” in the face of Russia.
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An always united front. Western leaders warned Russia on Tuesday, August 23 against any annexation of Ukrainian territory and once again gave their support to kyiv, which has been facing an invasion by Moscow forces for almost seven months. They were brought together on Tuesday by video as part of the summit of the “Crimean platform”, a format which brings together the main states supporting Ukraine and which had been created by kyiv before the start of the war launched on February 24.
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French President Emmanuel Macron called for not having “no weakness, no spirit of compromise […] against Russia”once again calling on Moscow “to cease hostilities, to withdraw its troops from all Ukrainian soil and to choose diplomacy to rebuild peace”.
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russia: “we will never recognize any attempt to change the status of any part of Ukraine”, did he declare. denouncing “the unprovoked aggression of Ukraine by Russia”, he promised to continue sanctions against Moscow and to send new military aid to kyiv, including anti-aircraft defense systems. While pro-Russian officials in the occupied territories have raised the idea of a referendum on joining Russia, as in Crimea in 2014, Olaf Scholz hammered “that no sham referendum or other attempts to change the status of certain parts of Ukrainian territory will be recognized”.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also affirmed his formal opposition to any annexation of Ukraine. “We cannot allow the borders to be changed by force of arms. We will never recognize Russia’s annexation of the territory of Ukraine”, did he declare. Boris Johnson, like his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, has promised to continue aid to kyiv and the policy of sanctions against Moscow until “Russia ends the war and withdraws its troops”.