French President Emmanuel Macron said that he will tell his US counterpart Donald Trump not to show weakness toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it will make it harder to confront China and Iran, writes aa.com.tr.

Speaking during a live question and answer session held on the social media platform X, Macron said he would visit Washington next week to negotiate with Trump, adding they share the same "strategic interests".

"I`m going to tell him: `You can`t be weak in the face of President Putin. It`s not you, it`s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you are weak in the face of Putin?" he added.

He also responded to Trump`s description of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections," emphasizing that Zelenskyy is the “legitimate" leader of Ukraine: "The Ukrainian president was elected in free elections, which is not the case with Vladimir Putin, who has been killing his opponents and manipulating his elections for a long time… Organization of elections in a country where millions of Ukrainians have fled for their safet is difficult. We`re at war in some way, and we have to prepare for possible future wars and deter them”.

He said their security and France"s interests are "at stake" as the US and Russia begin negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict. "Russia is a threat to Europeans if it continues to be predatory", he said, reiterating the need to invest more in the defense and security of Europe as they "enter a new era".

Macron also underscored that France does not intend to send troops to Ukraine at the moment: "What we do not rule out, within a planned framework, with our allies, is the possibility of having forces which, once peace has been negotiated, could help to guarantee Ukraine’s security".