French President Emmanuel Macron, a key figure in facilitating (now broken down) negotiations between Russia and the West, gave a televised address on Thursday condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

“Their [Ukraine’s] liberty is our own,” began Macron, and said that the attack on Ukraine was “a turning point in the history of Europe and our country.”

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“They will have lasting and far-reaching consequences on our lives, on the geopolitics of our continent,” the 44-year-old added, highlighting the geopolitical implications of Russia’s actions.

“By choosing war, President Putin did not just attack Ukraine,” continued Macron, adding, “He has decided to carry out the most serious attack on peace, on stability in Europe for decades.”

“The sanctions imposed on Russia will be commensurate with the aggression of which it is guilty,” the French President said, warning Moscow about the consequences of its actions.

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“We will be without weakness,” said Macron, vowing to mount a strong response to Russia’s act of aggression.

Macron joined a growing list of world leaders to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Thursday morning after President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in response to “genocide” by the Ukrainian government against the people of self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, which Russia recently recognised as independent states.

Since the invasion began, both sides have reported casualties in the dozens, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Ukrainians to take up arms against the invaders. Ukraine has also severed its diplomatic ties with Russia for the first time since 1991.

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Russia, for its part, has accused NATO of supporting “neo-Nazis” and President Putin has vowed to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine.

As per the latest available information, Russian forces have slipped into the northern Kyiv region through the Belarus-Ukraine border 160 kilometres from the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, sparking fears that the capital could fall to the Russian offensive.