ISTANBUL 

France’s president said Tuesday that he was in favor of imposing new sanctions on Russia if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

"Our intention is to impose new sanctions against Russia in the coming days" if it does not implement a ceasefire, Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with broadcaster TF1.

Macron also noted that France did not have the “legal framework” to seize Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense.

“As I speak to you now, it is not a good solution to seize the frozen assets. At the time of resolving the conflict, I believe they should be used to help with reconstruction,” he added.

Macron said Paris does not want to trigger a third world war but indicated that "Russia will not stop there if we let it carry on.”

He reiterated the need to continue supporting Ukraine to strengthen its forces.

“The third thing is that we cannot abandon Ukraine, especially since it won’t be joining NATO,” he added​​​​​​​.

He reaffirmed that France had advocated “nuclear deterrence” for decades, highlighting that they had not prepared themselves for a “frontline” or “ground war.”

Macron also expressed France’s readiness to open discussions on the deployment of aircraft armed with nuclear bombs to European countries.

"I want to initiate a debate, but France will not pay for the security of others. This will not come at the expense of what we already have, and the final decision will always remain with France," he said.

Asked about US President Donald Trump’s recent tariff policies, Macron said Trump was damaging American growth.

”We know the Americans will be less and less present in Europe…From what we’ve been experiencing in recent months, it’s 'America First,' and that’s legitimate,” he added.