After formalizing the annexation of four Ukrainian territories by Russia, Vladimir Putin spoke on Friday, September 30, during a ceremony in Red Square in Moscow in front of several thousand people. A discourse synonymous with a “explosion of nationalist delirium”, estimates Jean-Louis Bourlanges, MoDem deputy for Hauts-de-Seine and president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, Saturday on franceinfo.
>> What to remember from Vladimir Putin’s speech after the annexation referendums in four regions
franceinfo: How do you judge this annexation of the four Ukrainian regions by Russia?
Jean-Louis Bourlanges: Legally, this makes absolutely no sense. The conditions under which the referendums took place are absolutely monstrous and the consequences that Putin draws from them are totally arbitrary and unacceptable.
It’s a political step because on Putin’s part, it seems to be only a step intended for his internal opinion. Mr Putin is in a very difficult situation. He must demonstrate that the deaths, which are numerous, that he caused through this so-called “special” operation are justified. There, he can say: “we have extended Russia by four provinces”, hence the explosion of nationalist delirium at yesterday’s ceremony.
LIVE – Vladimir Putin speaks from Moscow ➡️ “Dear Russian citizens, citizens of the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, inhabitants of the oblasts of Kherson and Zaporijjia”, begins the Russian president, who recognizes the results of the referendums. pic.twitter.com/gJYh3Y1Ihj
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) September 30, 2022
Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he is asking for “accelerated membership” of NATO. Can we expect Ukraine to join NATO tomorrow?
No, I don’t think it’s an operation that can be completed. The problem of Ukraine’s military guarantees will arise and will arise in very precise and rigorous terms. And the Ukrainians will be justified in recalling that in 1994 the Americans and the British offered security guarantees to Ukrainian territory which were not followed up because, logically, that should have led these countries to enter into war with Russia.
We can discuss the prospect of seeing Ukraine in NATO, but the Americans haven’t talked about it for a long time. And I think it would run into something very serious. It is that from the moment that Ukraine is in NATO, the guarantee of article 5 on Ukraine would extend to Ukraine. And that means that all of NATO would be at war, including France. Now, that, I don’t think we can proceed in this way.
First of all, the Ukrainians must protect, reconquer their territory, peace be restored. Then, the problem of guarantees will arise and NATO, from this point of view, is a completely serious option.
Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the National Assembly.at franceinfo
For now, Ukraine is fighting alone, with military help. France continues to deliver weapons to kyiv.
Yes. The volume of these deliveries is not known. This is an initial request from the Ukrainians who did not want us to say not only the volume, but also the nature of the weapons that were given, so as to inform the Russian adversary of the equipment available to the Ukrainians.
What we know is that we are making a huge effort. It must be recognized that France is very exposed, very much in demand militarily. Over the past few years, we have been present almost everywhere in Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan, very present in Africa, in the Pacific, etc. We effectively have an exposure of our troops which means that we cannot completely disarm.
This proves, in my opinion, that we must continue the effort that was started by Emmanuel Macron five years ago to upgrade our military apparatus which was left in a situation of relative abandonment over the past twenty years. I understood that the Ukrainians were very satisfied with the quality of the weapons sent to them and the chain of follow-up, that the deliveries are assured and to have a follow-up in terms of ammunition.