The relationship between Ukraine and the Alliance dominated the French President’s tour of Moscow to Kiev.
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The shadow of a “Finnish” of Ukraine has hovered on the trip of Emmanuel Macron, Monday, February 7 in Russia and Tuesday 8 in Ukraine. In Kiev, the Head of State defended to have ever pronounced this taboo word for NATO allies. He knows that brandishing a concept inherited from the Cold War can steer, or weaken, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, both the latter is eager to integrate the Atlantic Alliance to protect himself from the Russian threat. The expression refers to the status of neutrality of Finland, which is not a member of NATO, even if it does not exclude from becoming it.
Officially, the question is not on the agenda. But the Elysee does not hide be in search of a formula to guarantee the security of Ukraine, without ignoring the main requirement of Vladimir Putin: put an end to the east of the Atlantic Alliance. A red line for Westerners, who have refused any arrangement in this direction in their answers to the requests of Moscow, mid-January.
The interrogations on the French intentions came from a small sentence pronounced on Monday by the Head of State in the flight that took him to Moscow. Asked about a possible “Finland” of Ukraine, he then answered without taking his account the expression: “It’s part of the models that are on the table.” “We must not seek a term of a term of Reference, he continued in the wake, I think we will invent something new by definition. “
On the way this time for Kiev, the French president said he was struck by the insistence of Vladimir Putin on the gel of the enlargement of NATO: “I found it determined, sure of him and advancing. With his logic, “he said, in the aircraft, the next day of their five hours of face-to-face. The head of the Kremlin had not hesitated to agitate the risks, for NATO members, which would make a possible integration into the Alliance of Ukraine, if it sought to resume Crimea by arms: “NATO and Russia are not comparable, but Russia is a nuclear power and you would be entrained in this conflict despite your will,” he launched before the press, alongside the French president.
Not suitable term
In this hostile context, the question of links between NATO and Ukraine is ultrasensible, not only to Kiev, but also in Western capitals. And for good reason: a possible “Finland” would suppose to maintain Ukraine out of NATO, at least a while, while offering security guarantees. A perspective that does not want to hear about states like Poland. Mr. Macron himself never pronounces the word likely to annoy his allies. His entourage considers that the term is not appropriate in the current situation: “It is to Ukraine to say what it wants to defend its sovereignty, it is not up to us to suggest it, let alone impose it, “said to the Elysée.
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