Johannesburg, South Africa – French President Emmanuel Macron called on world leaders Saturday to address escalating global conflicts with unwavering adherence to the United Nations Charter, emphasizing France's commitment to a principled foreign policy free from double standards. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit here, Macron highlighted the dire humanitarian situations in Gaza and Ukraine while announcing upcoming diplomatic maneuvers to bolster peace efforts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The remarks, delivered amid the summit’s focus on climate resilience and inequality in the developing world, underscore Paris’s push for multilateralism at a time when geopolitical fractures—exemplified by U.S. President Donald Trump’s boycott of the event—threaten to undermine collective action.
The G20 Summit, hosted for the first time on African soil at Johannesburg’s Nasrec Expo Centre from November 22 to 23, 2025, convened leaders from 19 major economies, the European Union, and invited guests to tackle pressing issues like debt relief for low-income nations and sustainable development goals. Despite the absence of Trump, whose administration cited irreconcilable differences with host South Africa over trade and foreign policy, the gathering adopted a declaration prioritizing aid for climate-vulnerable countries and calling for ceasefires in ongoing wars, including those in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, and Ukraine. Macron, arriving amid bilateral talks with counterparts like Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, used the platform to reiterate France’s vision for equitable international engagement.
On the Gaza Strip, Macron painted a sobering picture of the enclave’s conditions, describing them as “highly challenging” more than a year after the onset of intensified hostilities between Israel and Hamas. “France seeks to preserve peace in Gaza and expects all parties to fully comply with their commitments,” he stated, advocating for a “new governance and security framework” that could incorporate an international peacekeeping presence to stabilize the region. This framework, Macron explained, would prioritize humanitarian access, reconstruction, and de-escalation, building on recent trilateral efforts involving Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
Macron’s broader critique targeted perceived “double standards” in how the international community responds to conflicts. “France applies a single, consistent principle: protecting territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and human dignity across all regions—from Sudan to Palestine and Israel, and through to Ukraine,” he asserted. This stance reflects Paris’s longstanding advocacy for UN-centered diplomacy, as evidenced by France’s co-chairing of the July 2025 UN High-Level International Conference in New York, which produced the “New York Declaration” on advancing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. The declaration, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in September with 142 votes in favor, outlines “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward Palestinian statehood, including an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, hostage releases, and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories.
In a related development, Macron revealed that France and Saudi Arabia, as guarantors of the New York Declaration’s timeline, are intensifying direct engagements with Israel on a phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon. This effort, supported by the U.S., aims to empower the Lebanese Armed Forces and restore Beirut’s authority in the border region, where Hezbollah’s influence has fueled cross-border clashes since late 2023. The initiative aligns with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for demilitarization south of the Litani River and full implementation of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. French diplomats are coordinating with Riyadh to monitor compliance, with potential UN observer reinforcements to oversee the pullback.
Shifting to Ukraine, Macron offered a measured assessment of the U.S.-proposed peace plan, describing it as “positive” for acknowledging Kyiv’s sovereignty and security needs but incomplete without addressing European priorities. The 28-point framework, drafted in Washington and circulated ahead of the G20, includes provisions for frozen Russian assets to fund reconstruction and Ukraine’s prospective EU accession, yet it was negotiated without full European input—elements like asset management and NATO integration fall under Brussels’ purview. “Any settlement must also address Europe’s security concerns,” Macron emphasized, warning that military restrictions on Ukraine could erode its deterrence capabilities, inviting Russian recidivism.
To bridge these gaps, Macron announced that American, Ukrainian, and European negotiators will convene in Geneva on Sunday, November 24, 2025, to refine the plan’s contours. This high-level dialogue will precede an online summit of the “Volunteer Coalition”—a 35-nation alliance led by France and the UK—scheduled for November 25. Formed in March 2025 following the London Summit on Ukraine, the coalition has pledged operational and financial support for post-war security guarantees, including a potential “reassurance force” of up to 25,000 troops to deter renewed aggression. Macron stressed the imperative of a ceasefire as a prerequisite, noting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s endorsement contrasted with Moscow’s intransigence. “Without credible deterrence, Russia could return and break its commitments,” he cautioned.
Domestically, Macron waded into a brewing controversy surrounding French Chief of Defense Staff General Fabien Mandon, whose recent remarks ignited a political firestorm. On Thursday, November 20, Mandon told a congress of mayors that France must prepare to “lose its children” in confronting the Russian threat by 2030, framing it as essential for national resolve amid economic sacrifices for defense. The comments provoked backlash from across the spectrum: far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon decried it as “warmongering,” while National Rally figures questioned the general’s legitimacy.
Defending Mandon unequivocally, Macron dismissed the uproar as a misrepresentation “taken out of context to spread fear.” “The general’s words reflect the stark realities our forces face daily,” he said, aligning with Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin’s portrayal of it as “military language” underscoring vigilance. Appointed in September 2025, Mandon’s warnings echo France’s National Strategic Review, which identifies Russia as the “most direct threat” to European stability.
On a diplomatic note, Macron signaled intent to mend fences with Algeria, a key North African partner strained by migration disputes, security lapses, and historical grievances. “Calmer relations with Algeria are essential; significant improvements are needed in security, migration, and economic cooperation,” he remarked. Tensions had peaked over France’s endorsement of Morocco’s Western Sahara plan and Algiers’ refusal to repatriate undocumented nationals, but recent progress includes resumed bilateral pacts on counter-terrorism and migrant returns, as well as plans for high-level visits and a revision of the EU-Algeria partnership.
Macron’s Johannesburg interventions, blending reproach and resolve, highlight France’s balancing act in a multipolar world. As the G20 prepares to hand the presidency to the United States on November 30, the summit’s outcomes may yet catalyze momentum toward de-escalation. Yet, with ongoing crises in Donbas, Gaza’s persistent humanitarian blockade, and lingering Franco-Algerian frictions, the road to concrete actions remains fraught. European diplomats will scrutinize the U.S. Ukraine blueprint further in the coming days, while the Volunteer Coalition’s virtual meeting could solidify troop pledges and security commitments.
