Macron calls Putin ‘an ogre at our doorstep,’ doubts Russia will make peace

The comments in a French interview were Macron's harshest so far amid his repeated warnings in recent weeks that Moscow isn't serious about ending its invasion.

French President Emmanuel Macron says his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is “a predator” and “an ogre at our doorstep,” casting doubt on his willingness to make peace in Ukraine and refrain from future attacks on Europe.

The comments, made in an interview with French broadcaster LCI that aired Tuesday, were Macron’s harshest so far amid his repeated warnings in recent weeks that Moscow isn’t serious about ending its invasion.

They also came as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to lay the groundwork for a peace agreement, including what would be a historic meeting between Putin and Putin.

That peace deal is expected to include security guarantees for Ukraine, which Macron is leading efforts to draw up alongside European, Canadian and international allies.

NATO defence chiefs met Wednesday to discuss what those security guarantees could look like as well as “the current security situation” in Ukraine. Officials called the meeting, which included Canada’s chief of the defence staff Gen. Jennie Carignan, “a candid discussion.”

In the interview, Macron said those security guarantees were essential for the future of not just Ukraine, but the larger European continent. He called Putin a “destabilizing” force who, by investing so much of Russia’s economy into its military since its 2022 invasion, “will not return to a state of peace.”

“For his own survival, he needs to continue eating,” he said in French. “So he’s a predator, he’s an ogre at our doorstep.

“I’m not saying that tomorrow France will be attacked, but it’s a threat for the Europeans. We must not be naive.”