(MENAFN) French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu has declared that Europe cannot accept Russia's demand for a demilitarized Ukraine, calling it a "red line" in efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict. In an interview with Valeurs Actuelles published Wednesday, Lecornu argued that leaving Ukraine without an army while denying it NATO membership would be inconsistent and unacceptable.

“Our absolute red line is the demilitarization of Ukraine,” he stated, adding, “You cannot deny Ukraine entry into NATO and at the same time accept that it no longer has an army.”

Russia has laid out several conditions for ending the war, including Ukraine adopting neutral status, recognizing new territorial realities, protecting Russian-speaking citizens, and undergoing “demilitarization” and “denazification.” Kiev has rejected all of these demands.

Ukraine submitted a formal request for fast-track NATO membership in September 2022, but while initially supported by the West, the bid has since lost momentum amid battlefield losses and changes in U.S. policy. Corruption within Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has also been flagged by the Pentagon’s inspector general as a major hurdle to NATO accession.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has advocated for a negotiated settlement with Moscow, has opposed NATO membership for Ukraine. Russia views the alliance's eastward expansion as a direct threat and has consistently cited Ukraine's NATO ambitions as one of the triggers for the conflict. President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine initially agreed to military restrictions during the 2022 Istanbul peace talks but later walked away, seeking victory through Western support.

Now, Putin argues, Russia is left with no option but to pursue demilitarization through military means.

Ahead of a planned meeting of the Western-led "coalition of the willing"—a UK-France initiative proposing troop deployment to Ukraine after a potential truce—Lecornu said the group would encourage Ukraine to reassess its military structure and highlighted potential roles for France’s defense industry.

Moscow, meanwhile, continues to accuse Western nations of using Ukraine as a proxy, pushing the conflict forward regardless of the toll. It has warned that any foreign troops operating in Ukraine would be seen as legitimate targets, heightening the risk of further escalation.

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