Zelenskyy Can’t Accept a Ceasefire While Kyiv Burns – Macron

This is not a peace deal. It’s a surrender—signed in American ink, for Russian gain.

Speaking during a visit to Madagascar, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that no one can expect President Zelenskyy to accept ceasefire terms while Kyiv—the country’s capital—is under bombardment. As he spoke, Russia launched one of its largest aerial strikes on Kyiv this year. The timing was no accident: just one hour earlier, Donald Trump had publicly attacked Zelenskyy for refusing to accept his ultimatums to surrender Crimea.

It’s absurd. And it shows, once again, how little respect Donald Trump has for international agreements. It’s a cautionary tale—for any country considering a deal with this administration. It won’t be worth it. Just like the papers you sign with Putin, any paper signed with Trump is a waste: of time, money, energy, even the ink.

Russia invaded Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Even if Trump were somehow able to pressure Zelenskyy into accepting those terms, the result would still violate international law.

“Any agreement concluded or procured through the use of force, or the threat of force, is a void agreement. You cannot conclude an agreement while you are at gunpoint,” says Maksym Vishchyk, legal adviser at the international consultancy group Global Rights Compliance.

Of course, what Vishchyk is saying is basic common sense. Yes, Ukraine could sign now and later declare the agreement null and void—but doing so would mean losing the war in a different way. It would make them no better than Trump or Putin, who sign deals only to break them.