Mr Macron told French radio that he could not use such language because the West should not seek to escalate the conflict. “Our goal is to end the war without fighting it,” he said.

He added that his next phone call with Putin could be on Monday or Tuesday to seek support for a French-Turkish-Greek humanitarian mission to evacuate the besieged city of Mariupol.

Mr Macron stated on France 3 TV that the West’s goal was to achieve a cease-fire and troop withdrawal through diplomatic means.

“If this is what we want to do, we should not escalate things – neither with words nor with actions,” he added.

On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the Doha Forum international conference that if nothing was done to help civilians in Mariupol, there would be collective guilt.

On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed on two humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from frontline areas, including Mariupol residents who leave by private car.

Far-right Marine Le Pen, a French presidential candidate, has stated her support for Mr. Macron’s approach.

She stated: “Those are obviously words that add fuel to the fire. It is a good thing that the president of the Republic is not participating in this escalation.”

On Saturday, after meeting with Ukrainian refugees in Poland, US President Donald Trump called Putin a butcher who “cannot remain in power.”

According to a White House official, the remarks were intended to prepare the world’s democracies for an extended conflict over Ukraine, rather than to support regime change in Russia.

“I think the President, the White House made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Sunday.

“The president of Russia is elected by Russians,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

“To put it politely, this speech – and the passages about Russia – are astounding. He doesn’t realise that the world isn’t just the United States and most of Europe.”

Mr. Biden referred to the fight against Putin as a “new battle for freedom,” adding that Putin’s desire for absolute power was a strategic failure for Russia and a direct challenge to the European peace that has largely prevailed since World War II.

He went on: “The West is now more powerful and united than it has ever been. This battle will not be won in a matter of days or months. We must brace ourselves for the long battle ahead.”

The speech came after three days of meetings with the G7, European Council, and NATO allies in Europe.

Last week, Mr. Macron ruled out sending tanks and warplanes to Ukraine, claiming that doing so would draw NATO into a conflict with Russia.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been attempting to persuade NATO allies to supply Ukraine with tanks.

Mr Johnson stated that, while the UK wanted to assist, there were logistical issues. He insisted on armoured vehicles being provided to Ukraine by allies closer to the country.

The French President told NATO that the issue was a red line and that NATO must do everything possible to avoid becoming a co-belligerent.