French President Emmanuel Macron warned that yielding to Russia now would sow the seeds of future wars, saying, “If we show weakness today in the face of Russia, we lay the foundation for future conflicts.” He spoke on 17 August after chairing a video conference of the “Coalition of Volunteers,” which groups several European Union and NATO countries supporting Kyiv. Macron’s comments come a day before he and other European leaders accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House meeting is expected to focus on possible security guarantees for Ukraine and on maintaining pressure on Moscow after Trump’s recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. European leaders, including Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Britain’s Keir Starmer, have signalled they will press for a “robust and durable” peace that preserves Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Macron reiterated that any settlement must involve Ukraine directly and rejected proposals that would weaken its armed forces. He urged allies to present a united front and to be prepared to tighten sanctions if Moscow resists a cease-fire.