Macron says only Ukrainian President Zelenskiy could negotiate on behalf of his country

Macron Asserts Only Zelenskiy Can Represent Ukraine in Negotiations

(Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could negotiate on behalf of his country, warning that allowing "peace that is a capitulation" would be "bad news for everyone", including the U.S., the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

"The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably, and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis. After that, it’s up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia,” Macron said in an interview with the newspaper at the Elysee Palace.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Ukraine would be involved in peace talks with Russia, although Kyiv said it would be premature to speak with Moscow at a security conference on Friday.

(Reporting by Bipasha Dey and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)