STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – European Union countries must work together on a new stability and security deal that they could then discuss with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron told the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Referring to “destabilisation efforts” in the continent, Macron, speaking as France starts its presidency of the EU, said Europe wants to find a political response to the conflict in Ukraine.
“The security of our continent is indivisible”, Macron said referring to Russia, adding that Europe must define its own security standards.
He added that Europe must “bring ourselves to a position to make sure they can be respected,” without elaborating.
Earlier U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Kyiv for talks, warned that Russia could launch a new attack at “very short notice”.
Separately, Macron said the EU must review its relationships with the Western Balkans and offer them “sincere” prospects of joining the bloc.
The EU must also propose a new alliance to African countries, he said, adding that EU and African countries would discuss it at a summit in February.
(Reporting by Benoit van Overstraeten, Myriam Rivet and Tangi Salaün; Writing by Tassilo Hummel and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
