'Isolated' Putin Tells France's Macron He Will Fight 'Until The End'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to continue the invasion of Ukraine until it reaches its conclusion in a chilling phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, March 3, increasing fears of a prolonged conflict in Ukraine.

Macron, who accepted the 90-minute call from Putin in an attempt to possibly call off the invasion of Ukraine, issued a statement that claimed that Putin has refused to back down from his position and will continue his campaign until the invasion is “fulfilled,” according to the Daily Beast.

“The expectation of the president is that the worst is to come, given what President Putin told him... There was nothing in what President Putin told us that should reassure us. He showed great determination to continue the operation,” an aide to Macron said.

Putin appears determined to continue the war, even claiming that the operation is currently going as planned and that their end goal wasn’t to occupy territory but to destroy Ukraine’s military capabilities and jail nationalists from that border to reduce its threat to Russia, Reuters reported.

“It was [emphasized] that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on [Kyiv] in our negotiating position,” the statement released by Macron continued.

As the invasion of Ukraine continues unabated, Russia has taken over multiple cities through targeting civilian areas and infrastructure, disrupting life-saving food supply lines in what some are calling an attempted “genocide of the Ukrainian people,” according to The Guardian.

Ukrainian negotiators are attempting to negotiate with the Russian peace talk delegation in agreeing for an immediate ceasefire in areas with numerous civilians so that they can evacuate them out of the war zones. No deals have been made yet, but the third round of talks has been scheduled.

Ukraine estimates that over 350 civilians have died and over 2,000 more have been injured, with the United Nations estimating that over 1 million Ukrainians have fled the country by Thursday, in what is being called “the biggest refugee crisis this century.”

“We expect the worst is yet to come,” Macron said in a statement, as they point out what feels like an isolated Putin lashing out against the world.