French President Emmanuel Macron called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "revisionist imperialist of history and the identity of peoples" who made a "historical error" by comparing him to Napoleon Bonaparte.
"Napoleon led conquests. The only imperial power I see today in Europe is called Russia," Macron said Thursday evening in Brussels. "I know he can betray the agreements he signs. He deliberately violated the Minsk agreements," the French president said further of Putin.
"In the very short term, we want to help the Ukrainian army. In 2025, the EU will provide €30.6 billion, financed by the interests on immobilized Russian assets," Macron also confirmed while speaking to the press. "Beyond the short term, [we] have decided to [strengthen] European defense," he added, maintaining his claim that Russia poses an "existential threat" to Europe.
