How far will France go in the war that has been raging for two years between Russia and Ukraine?
While this conflict, at the gates of Europe, is bogged down militarily and finds no diplomatic solution, the National Assembly and the Senate validated this week the security agreement, signed on February 16, between Paris and kyiv.
Concluded for a period of ten years, this text provides for a strengthening of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of artillery and air defense.
To detail the long-term French strategy, Emmanuel Macron was the guest Thursday evening on
“8 p.m.”
on TF1 and France 2. The opportunity for the Head of State to return, facing Gilles Bouleau and Anne-Sophie Lapix, on his latest controversial statements.
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The head of state may have placed
“no limits”
on support for Ukraine, according to comments reported by the oppositions during an interview at the Élysée last week, but the hypothesis of sending troops French or European forces on Ukrainian soil have been disconcerted.
Both the oppositions and the European chancelleries.
Comments reported this Thursday by
Le Monde,
and going in the same direction, on
"sending guys to Odessa before the end of the year",
have once again ignited the powder.
Because the question remains unanswered and worrying: will France send soldiers to help kyiv in its response against Moscow, at the risk of making it a belligerent?
Le Figaro
returns to the interview with the head of state.
“Russia must not win this war”
, thunders Macron
From the start of his speech, Emmanuel Macron adopted a solemn tone.
“Russia has launched a full-blown war,” the president explained.
We have one goal: Russia cannot and must not win this war.”
Recalling having helped Ukraine for more than two years, the head of state affirmed that
“if things were to degenerate, it would only be Russia's responsibility.”
Faced with Vladimir Putin who has
“crossed all limits”
,
“if we naively told him that we would not go further than this or that, at that moment, we would not decide on peace, we are already deciding on defeat.”
According to Emmanuel Macron,
“an existential war”
is being waged both for
“France”
and
“Europe.”
Europe has set itself
“too many limits”
against Russia
In view of the declarations from European capitals, Emmanuel Macron considered that he and his partners had
“systematically done what we said we were not going to.”
“Two years ago, we said that we would never send missiles and planes, we did it,” he recalled.
We have put too many limits in our vocabulary.
We are not into climbing.
We are not at war with Russia.
We must be clear, we must not let Russia win
,” the President of the Republic then insisted.
Also read “Up to 3 billion euros”, where do the funds for the military aid promised to Ukraine come from?
The war in Ukraine, the
“end of carelessness”
For the President of the Republic, head of diplomacy and the armed forces,
“we have all been living for several years in a world where what we thought was unthinkable is happening.”
“It’s this end of carefreeness that I spoke of a few years ago.
Here we are.
The war is on European soil
,” he said in a martial tone.
In order to make people understand the challenges posed by this war on the Old Continent, Emmanuel Macron recalled that there are
“less than 1,500 kilometers between Strasbourg and Liv.”
“We will never lead an offensive, we will never take the initiative”
, procrastinates Macron
While his comments on sending troops to the Ukrainian front sparked an outcry in France and the Western world, the head of state worked to reassure his fellow citizens who may be worried.
“We will never lead an offensive, we will never take the initiative,” insisted the head of state.
France is a force for peace.
To have peace in Ukraine, you must not be weak.
And so we must lucidly look at the situation and we must with determination, will, courage to say that we are ready to use the means to achieve our objective which is that Russia does not win
,” Emmanuel Macron further detailed.
“Wanting peace today is not letting Ukraine down, it is promoting peace
,” he said.
2024, the
“year of the start”
The Ukrainian counter-offensive having difficulty regaining territorial parties, the tenant of the Élysée considered that
“these last months”
have marked
“a profound change”
.
“The situation is much more difficult for them.
Russia is getting tougher at home and it is increasing its attacks
,” added Emmanuel Macron, according to whom
“the start of 2024 must be a start for us.”
“If Russia were to win, the lives of the French would change”
What was the president's objective Thursday evening?
Make the French aware of the geopolitical and strategic stakes represented by the war in Ukraine, while a feeling of weariness has taken hold of public opinion.
“We will do what is necessary to achieve our goal.
Because if Russia were to win, the lives of the French would change
,” said Emmanuel Macron.
In what ways?
“We would no longer have security in Europe.”
“Who can think for a single second that President Putin, who has respected none of these limits and none of his commitments, would stop there?,” the head of state pretended to wonder. The security of France, the security of Europe and the security of the French are at stake there.”
Concerning Europe, Vladimir Putin's victory would see his
“credibility reduced to zero”
“What would be the credibility on our soil of a European Union power of its members who would have allowed this to happen?”
, he mocked.
Putin’s Russia, an
“adversary”
of France
This is a strong statement that risks causing the Kremlin to react.
Emmanuel Macron estimated that
“Russia was an adversary”
.
Before procrastinating:
“We are not waging war on Russia and the Russian people and we support Ukraine.”
“We are doing everything so that it can put Russia in check,”
he insisted.
And to detail this
“failure”
:
“There is no lasting peace if there is not sovereignty, a return to the recognized borders of Ukraine”
, including Crimea.
Read alsoIn Russia, how Vladimir Putin locked his re-election to continue his war
“Few words”
on nuclear power
Faced with the risk of nuclear war, Emmanuel Macron recalled France's doctrine.
“We are ready, we have an established doctrine and when it comes to nuclear matters, few words are needed
,” confided the Head of State.
“Our nuclear capacity firstly provides security to the French people that few countries in the world have.
“It gives us a responsibility, that of being a power equipped with this weapon and therefore never escalating
,” the president explained.
A
“disagreement”
with certain oppositions
While Parliament largely adopted the security agreement, certain political groups, such as the RN which abstained or LFI which voted against, Emmanuel Macron, who displays his “
disagreement”
, considers that such action
“n "is not to choose peace, but to choose defeat."
“The responsibility for this war, for the attacks, is the responsibility of Russia,”
insisted Emmanuel Macron, who wishes to maintain this
“European unity”.