PARIS, April 8. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron said his country was ready to become a guarantor of a peace process in Ukraine once a ceasefire is achieved, the French leader was quoted as saying by Le Parisien on Friday.
"At some point, a ceasefire will be declared, and we will need to build peace. This cannot be done without a guarantor, and there were calls to France to become one of those guarantors," Macron said.
The French leader stressed he was ready to continue negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin regardless of their results, because it would help Paris "to retain its status of a negotiator."
"This is my duty. And even if I believe that there will be no result by mid-May, it will be useful in preparations for future peace," Macron said.
Humanitarian corridors
The French president said he was paying great attention to the issue of humanitarian corridors, making a special mention of the situation in Mariupol. In his words, the Russian side "refused in a very clear fashion" when France offered to carry out its own humanitarian operation in the city, in cooperation with Greece and Turkey.
He added that Paris suggested opening a humanitarian corridor, with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
France has completed preparations for an international humanitarian operation in Mariupol to evacuate the city's residents and is waiting for Russia's approval, French cabinet spokesman and secretary of state Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry replied that the Russian side opens humanitarian corridors every day, in accordance with humanitarian initiatives of France, Germany and Turkey. It said that Russia observes all ceasefire requirements along these routs on a daily basis, and informs foreign ambassadors and relevant international organizations about that.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request from the heads of the Donbass republics, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine in order to protect people "who have been suffering from the Kiev regime’s abuse and genocide for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy the Ukrainian territory.
The United States, the European Union and a number of other countries announced shortly after that they were imposing sanctions on Russian companies and individuals.
France’s presidential election is to be held in two rounds on April 10 and 24. According to opinion polls, Marine Le Pen, holds second place on the list of presidential candidates after the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, who is contesting a second term of office. Overall, 12 candidates are taking part.