Macron’s statement on Ukraine frightens Western allies
2022.12.08 09:37
Macron’s statement on Ukraine frightens Western allies
Budrigannews.com – There was a notable absence of ministers when NATO’s 30 foreign ministers met in Bucharest in November to plan additional aid plans for Ukraine and regional players under Russian pressure: France.
While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it to Bucharest, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was with President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the United States.
It was yet another reason to worry about French policy toward Ukraine and whether it is a weak link in the Western alliance that has been bolstering Kyiv against Russia’s invasion for European allies, particularly eastern states closer to the front lines.
In interviews with French and American media outlets two days after the Bucharest meeting, Macron contradicted himself on Ukraine, adding to the frustration that has become increasingly public in some east European capitals.
Macron stated that, on the one hand, it was up to Kyiv to decide when to negotiate with Moscow, but on the other, he reiterated his calls for Russia to receive security guarantees when the time came to negotiate.
His remarks were retweeted by the official news agency of Russia, TASS.
On Twitter, former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said, “Oh FFS (for fuck’s sake),” expressing the general sentiment among many of France’s eastern allies.
Ukraine responded quickly and bluntly. Mykhailo Podolyak, the top aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, stated that Russia needed security guarantees from the world, not the other way around.
Diplomats and former politicians have stated that, despite Paris providing substantial financial and military assistance to Ukraine, such remarks have enraged France’s NATO allies in eastern Europe and the Baltics and raised suspicions regarding Macron’s intentions.
Macron’s own policy agenda to strengthen European “strategic autonomy” outside of the U.S.-led NATO umbrella has been undermined by the annoyance of eastern allies, who now trust the United States more for their defense.
There was concern that Macron would “misread” Russia once more, according to a diplomat from eastern Europe.
On the sidelines of an EU summit in Albania, Macron responded when reporters asked him to respond to critics about his most recent comments about Russia: ” We shouldn’t make a big deal of that and start debates where there are none, in my opinion.”
“Added he: I’ve generally said…that in the harmony discussions toward the end, there will be regional issues, and they have a place with the Ukrainians, and there will be issues of aggregate security for the entire district.”
A request for comment on this article was not immediately responded to by Macron’s office.
French diplomats and officials from the presidency emphasize that France has always provided Kyiv with political, military, and humanitarian assistance, and that Macron has repeatedly consulted Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, before dealing with Putin.
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However, Macron’s talk of security guarantees has also offended close Western allies, who believe that it is inappropriate in light of the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, destroyed cities, and left millions of people stranded in the cold and darkness of the winter.
“You should never say everything out loud in foreign policy. Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to Washington, tweeted, “Being right is not enough,” without naming Macron but adding a pointed “sigh” at the end.
He stated, “You have to say it at the right moment, or you risk getting what you didn’t want.”
Paris has been hurt by the most recent round of criticism because it comes after Macron changed how he talked about Russia.
During his campaign for reelection, Macron offended Ukrainians and people in eastern Europe by saying that Russia shouldn’t be “humiliated.” In September, he changed his mind and said that neutral nations were complicit in the conflict because they didn’t speak up. Additionally, France had made its increased military support for Ukraine more public.
The contradictory messages have been surprising in some ways.
Since 2017, Macron’s foreign policy has been based on taking risks and taking initiative. His remarks in 2019 that NATO was “brain dead” did not lead to a crisis within the alliance; rather, they sparked constructive discussion about the organization’s mission.
It is rare for Macron to retract remarks. According to associates, he attempts to explain, persuade peers that he is correct, and demonstrate his international prowess.
He is usually lively, enjoys tackling difficult problems, and has a knack for seizing the moment.
However, his focus on Russia is being viewed as his biggest foreign policy error by a growing number of adversaries and supporters.
They point out that he has kept a low profile in relation to the possibility of a total Russian defeat, which has been the subject of increased speculation since a series of Russian territorial losses to a Ukrainian counter-offensive since the summer.
Russia must be humiliated in the eyes of Moscow’s former eastern European satellites so that their territorial integrity is never again threatened. However, according to Macron, any defeat suffered by Russia must be effectively managed with historical context.
In France, where schools teach that the Versailles Treaty, which ended World War I by imposing severe financial and territorial penalties on Germany, fueled animosity and paved the way for World War Two, this reasoning is accepted.
East Europeans, on the other hand, worry that Macron’s dialogue with Putin will make him useful to a Russian leader who sees Washington as the source of Western power and Macron as a tool to create tension in NATO and take advantage of any differences between France and Germany.
According to a senior diplomat from Russia, Macron stood out because he had a vision and a desire to maintain future relations between Russia and France rather than sever them, as other candidates seemed to want.
Macron sought a strategic “dialogue” with Russia from the beginning of his presidency in 2017. He invited Putin to Versailles’ opulent halls. The symbolism encouraged and flatter Putin, but it did not result in any substantive advances.
However, Macron has persistently attempted to maintain open communication with Putin, most recently by attempting to establish a security zone around a front-line nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine that has been repeatedly shelled.
Also, despite the fact that Macron said before his outing to Washington he would address Putin in “the next few days”, no call has yet emerged.
