A float portraying Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and US President Donald Trump (L) forming a 'Hitler - Stalin - Pact 2.0' to squash Ukraine and its President Zelensky is pictured during the Rose Monday (Rosenmontag) parade in Duesseldorf, western Germany — AFP PARIS, Mar 03 (AFP/Reuters): France and Britain are proposing a one-month truce in Ukraine "in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure" after crisis talks in London, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
In an interview with France's Le Figaro newspaper, Macron said that such a truce would not, initially at least, cover ground fighting.
The problem there was it would be very difficult to check that it was being respected given the size of the front line, he said.
Peacekeepers would be deployed at a later date, he said, adding: "There won't be European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks."
Macron also suggested that European countries should raise their defence spending to between 3.0 and 3.5 percent of GDP to respond to Washington's shifting priorities and Russia's militarisation.
London summit on Ukraine not aimed
at peace: Kremlin
The Kremlin said on Monday that pledges made by European leaders at a London summit on Ukraine over the weekend to increase funding to Kyiv will not help bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other Western leaders on Sunday, where they agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States two days after Zelensky clashed with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the results of the summit - including a $2 billion air-defence missiles deal from Britain - will allow hostilities to continue, adding it was critical that Zelensky be forced to change his position and seek peace.
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