French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a special session of the UN Security Council because of the recent escalation in the Ukraine crisis. In addition, in a statement released by the Élysée Palace on Monday evening, Macron called for “targeted European sanctions” against Moscow. Macron condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. be this “Clearly a unilateral violation of Russia’s international obligations and a blow to Ukraine’s sovereignty.” Macron had previously discussed the situation in a conference call with US President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The spokesman for the federal government, Steffen Hebestreit, announced in the evening: “All three interlocutors agreed that this unilateral step by Russia is a clear breach of the Minsk Agreement.” Germany, France and the USA sharply condemned the Russian President’s decision, it said it in the statement. This step will not go unanswered.
Hebestreit did not provide any information on possible sanctions in the statement. In the past few weeks, the EU, Great Britain and the USA had discussed possible sanctions in the event of Russia invading Ukraine. After Putin’s speech, however, there were initially no concrete announcements.
“The partners agreed not to let up in their commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” said Hebestreit on the talks between Biden, Macron and Scholz. At the same time, every effort will be made to prevent the situation from escalating further, the statement said.