President Macron to make a TV speech to nation tonight
The broadcast will address this ‘moment of great uncertainty’ amid international tensions about the war in Ukraine
The speech at 20:00 this evening will address the Ukraine-Russia situation
Gints Ivuskans/Shutterstock
President Emmanuel Macron is to make a televised speech to France tonight (March 5), regarding the war in Ukraine and the international situation with Russia and the US.
The speech will begin at 20:00. It comes just before an exceptional European summit on the Ukraine war is set to take place tomorrow (March 6).
Writing on X (Twitter), Mr Macron said: “In this moment of great uncertainty, when the world is facing its greatest challenges, I will address you this evening at 20:00.”
It comes after Mr Macron met US President Donald Trump at the White House last week, with newswire Reuters summarising that the meeting showed “stark differences in [the leaders’] approach to Ukraine”.
“President Putin violated the peace,” Mr Macron said, but Mr Trump avoided direct criticism of Russia, instead simply calling for “peace swiftly [but not with] an agreement that is weak”.
Yet, overall, US political commentators broadly praised Mr Macron for his ‘soft diplomacy’ that “charmed Mr Trump”.
Read also: US media praises 'charmer' Macron over his meeting with Trump
Mr Macron is also set to receive the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, at the Elysée Palace this evening (March 5).
Mr Orbán is close to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump. He has said that he wants the European Union to open negotiations with Russia, and has previously threatened to block the European summit.
US controversies
It comes days after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky clashed with Mr Trump about a proposed agreement designed to end the war.
Ukrainian official and head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, later issued a statement saying that Russia must prove it wants to stop the war by halting all bombing and attacks.
Mr Zelensky has since expressed regret for the meeting with Mr Trump, and said he is prepared to consider signing a minerals deal with the US.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance has sparked controversy after saying on Fox News that troops from a “some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years” would struggle to maintain peace in Ukraine.
He later said that he was not referring to either French or UK troops, but has not specified the country to which he was referring.
‘Diplomatic, economic and now military pressure’
Meanwhile, former European Commissioner and former French prime minister Michel Barnier has this week told Le Monde that he believes that Mr Trump “is sacrificing the future for the present” on many issues, and said that the US should not abandon post-World War II alliances.
He said: “Trump seems to be a prisoner of his commitment to achieving a swift peace in Ukraine…Mr Zelensky is now the main obstacle to this objective.
“Hence all this diplomatic, economic and now military pressure. But this is terribly misguided because a cessation of hostilities can only be seriously considered with a Ukraine capable of resisting Russia, not in a capitulation.”
He added that “President Trump is the first American president since 1950 who not only does not support the European project, but also dislikes Europe”.
