"We must understand that the front line today stretches the equivalent distance from Paris to Budapest," he said.
"If a ceasefire is declared, it would be extremely difficult to verify whether it is being upheld along the entire zone."
Macron also stated that European troops will not be deployed to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
"The question is how we can use this time to attempt to establish an acceptable ceasefire, conduct negotiations over several weeks, and then, once peace is signed, proceed with deployment (of peacekeepers—ed.)," the French President added.
"We want peace. But not at any price, not without guarantees."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, before departing from the UK, told reporters that he was aware of Macron and Starmer’s proposal.
When asked by BBC correspondent Laura Kuenssberg whether he was familiar with the Franco-British plan, Zelenskyy simply responded: "I am aware of everything."
London summit and Western security commitments
On March 2, European leaders gathered in London for a summit on Ukraine. Opening the event, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that a group of European leaders will work with Ukraine on a plan to halt hostilities before presenting it to the United States.
Following the summit, Starmer said that the UK will strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities and will be willing to deploy its forces in the event of a peace agreement. Additionally, he announced an agreement allowing Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air defense missiles.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office, summarizing the summit, noted that mechanisms of the North Atlantic Treaty were being considered as part of security guarantees and measures to reinforce Ukraine’s military.
Previously, Zelenskyy had stated that Ukraine would be ready for diplomacy with Russia once it secures security guarantees from the United States.