War in Ukraine has become a triple failure for Russia and has strengthened NATO – Macron on 4th anniversary of full-scale invasion

French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion by Russia into Ukraine, declaring the devastating consequences of the aggression for the Russian state, while affirming support for Ukraine and the construction of a European security architecture.

"Four years ago, Europe woke up to the sound of Russian bombs in Ukraine… For four years now, Ukraine has held its ground and resisted. One day, the Russians will realize the scale of the crime committed in their name, the absurdity of the justifications given, and the long-term devastating consequences for their country," reads Macron’s statement, published on the social network X on Tuesday morning in Ukrainian, French, and English.

The President of France called Ukraine "the front line of defense of our continent" and declared decisive support from France and all of Europe. "Europe has already mobilized EUR 170 billion. At the European Council in December, we agreed on a EUR 90 billion loan to provide Ukraine with predictable funding over the next two years. Nothing justifies a revision of this decision. Now we must put it into practice. The supply of equipment and ammunition, training, strengthening air defense and the fight against drones, as well as the maintenance of already provided equipment, will continue. So that Ukraine stands firm and Russia understands: time is not on its side. We will also continue to strike at the Russian war economy: we will stay the course on sanctions and continue actions against the shadow fleet," he wrote.

Macron addressed "those who think they can count on our fatigue," stating that "they are mistaken—we are and will remain side-by-side with Ukraine."

"This war is a triple failure for Russia: military, economic, and strategic. It has strengthened NATO, the expansion of which Russia wanted to avoid; it has united Europeans, whom it sought to weaken; and it has exposed the fragility of an imperialism from another era," he emphasized.

The French President noted that Russia has captured only 1% of Ukrainian territory since the front stabilized in November 2022, at the cost of 1.2 million of its soldiers killed or wounded, and is now "recruiting people on the African continent to send them to fight on the Ukrainian front, often without any prior training."

He also noted that "since there will be no peace without security, and our security is decided in Ukraine, we will continue to work within the ‘Coalition of the Willing’" and reported a common position with the USA regarding future security guarantees.

"Today’s meeting should allow us to continue moving forward. We will also ensure that the interests of Europeans are properly taken into account in the negotiations, including—at the appropriate time—when it comes to the security architecture necessary for our continent," Macron said.

As reported, on Tuesday, Macron gathered the Coalition of the Willing in Paris "to further advance the historic work between more than 30 countries that have joined their forces so that peace, when it is concluded in Ukraine, can be guaranteed."