how France toughened its tone against Russia

For more than two years, Europe has been shaken by a war that no one thought possible: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This conflict on the European continent is shaking up international relations and is at the center of the concerns of a weakened EU, which has struggled in recent months to agree on a common strategy.

For five months, the teams from the France 2 show “13h15” slipped into the heart of French diplomacy. They report on this immersion in a documentary entitled Europe facing war, broadcast Thursday May 9 at 9:10 p.m. The film describes the destabilization of Europe by the Russian offensive, the fear that the conflict will spread, the major stakes of the American presidential election in November for the continuation of the war and questions the role that can play French diplomacy.

Macron warns Europe

Following a meeting of 27 European heads of state in Paris at the end of February, Emmanuel Macron took everyone by surprise by saying not “exclude” sending ground troops to Ukraine, explaining want to put back “strategic ambiguity” in the European response to the Russian invasion. SHis remarks then created a real controversy. The United States and most European countries opposed the hypothesis put forward by the head of state, like the German Chancellor Olaf Scholzparticularly hostile to this idea.

However, that did not prevent the President of the Republic, worried about a possible collapse of Europe, from reiterating his positions twice. “We must be lucid: our Europe is mortal. It can die. (…) Nothing must be excluded”he notably launched on April 25 during his speech at the Sorbonne, calling on his partners to “to make choices”.

Ksenia Bolchakova, senior reporter and winner of the Albert Londres prize in 202nd for her documentary Wagner, Putin’s shadow army, considers that Emmanuel Macron’s strategy is the right one: “President Macron is right to make this speech. Vladimir Putin only speaks the language of force. When he faces weak people, he despises them and steps on them”. The Franco-Russian journalist, interviewed in the documentary, adds: “You have to understand a little bit of Putin’s psychology. We must not give him space, because he takes advantage of it. (…) The Ukrainians have been saying it for two years: if Ukraine falls, there will be a house of cards behind it that will fall. He’s not going to stop at Ukraine if he ever wins.”

The death of Alexeï Navalny, a breaking point

According to the journalist, Emmanuel Macron’s change of tone is notably the consequence of the death of Alexeï Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s main opponent. “What probably triggered this about-face was the assassination of Alexeï Navalny in prison. This is perhaps the last straw that caused President Macron’s position to waver in favor of a firmer stance.” If the causes of the death of the Kremlin opponent remain unclear, his relatives and a number of observers, including Ksenia Bolchakova, consider that Moscow ordered his death.