According to French President Emmanuel Macron, he does not want to see Russia destroyed by a loss in Ukraine.
Speaking to the French media, Mr. Macron called on the Western world to give Kyiv more military aid and declared that he was ready for a protracted conflict.
He declared, "I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position and I want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine.
However, he criticized those who, in his words, sought to "crush" Russia by bringing the war home to its own soil.
The remarks were made as world leaders met at the Munich Security Conference, where pledges to speed up the delivery of weapons to Kiev and impose more stringent sanctions on Moscow were made.
In an interview with the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Mr. Macron said, "I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil.
"Those observers are most interested in destroying Russia. That has never been, and never will be, the position of France. " .
Mr. Macron insisted that now was not the time for dialogue with Moscow while addressing the conference in Munich on Friday.
However, he did not hesitate to mention peace negotiations as the ultimate objective.
According to the president, military action by Ukraine with the assistance of allies was the only way to "bring Russia back to the table and build a lasting peace.".
Additionally, he dismissed the possibility of a regime change in Russia and called similar initiatives around the globe a "total failure.".
Despite Mr. Macron's remarks, the prospect of negotiations is remote for the authorities in Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba applauded the choice not to invite Moscow to the Munich conference on Friday.
He said that as long as the "terrorist state kills, as long as it uses bombs, missiles, and tanks as an argument for international politics," Russian leaders should not be allowed to participate in discussions.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has ruled out holding talks with Vladimir Putin right away because he claims there is "no trust" between the two countries. Also this week, he rejected the notion of ceding territory in order to reach a peace agreement with Moscow in an interview with the BBC.
Some NATO allies have previously criticized Mr. Macron for what they perceive to be inconsistent messaging regarding Ukraine.
In June of last year, Mr. Kuleba denounced him for saying that it was crucial that Russia not be "humiliated over its invasion.".
Mr. Kuleba responded at the time by saying that Russia needed to be put in its place because it was "humiliating itself."
