The Russian threat to the Ukrainian borders mentioned by Washington tests “Powerful Europe” defended by the Elysee.
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Emmanuel Macron hammered the message, Thursday, December 9, at the Elysée: Europe must give themselves the means to be “powerful in the world” and “fully sovereign”. Less than a month from the beginning of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), from 1 ER January 2022, the reality of continental power reports may put to the Test the ambition sketched by the French president. The massive deployment of Russian troops on the border of Ukraine remains a threat taken very seriously, despite the signals of “de-escalation” sent Tuesday, after the conversation between the President of the United States, Joe Biden, And his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Before this appointment, American officials warned of a risk of invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of the year 2022.
At his press conference, the Head of State welcomed this recent virtual summit between the two leaders, although his outfit, at the request of Mr. Putin, highlight the relative impotence of the Europeans against Russia, seven years after the unilateral annexation of Crimea. The twenty-seven are still unable to manage their neighborhood without the intervention of the United States. Mr. Macron assured that, talking about Ukraine as in Russia, contributing as much as possible to “de-escalation”, among other things, thanks to the threats of American sanctions.
m. Macron also rejoiced that the US president this time took the time to consult his European allies, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, before and after conversing with its Russian counterpart. “It’s a very good thing that Biden has found it useful to coordinate with its European partners,” he said. An attitude that slice with the precipitous and unconcerted withdrawal of the American troops of Afghanistan this summer, which took short Europeans and shaken the Atlantic Alliance.
“The conflict remains frozen”
If these European capitals are less alarmatic than Washington on Russo-Ukrainian tensions, they are none the less on their guards. “The conflict remains frozen,” said Macron. The question had to be the lunch menu between the Head of State and the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, received Friday at the Elysee, for his first trip out of Germany. Mr. Macron also announced that he was going to meet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on December 15 in Brussels, in the presence of Mr. Scholz. The head of state should talk to the phone again with Mr. Putin “next week”. The appointment was not yet fixed, Wednesday.
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