in France, a subject of division in the European election campaign

Emmanuel Macron brought together around twenty European leaders at the Élysée on Monday to reaffirm Europe’s support for Ukraine. A subject on which two camps oppose each other in the campaign for the European elections.

“There is no consensus” between the allies, underlined Emmanuel Macron, on February 26 in Paris. But he refuses to rule out forever the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine, a way of posing an additional threat to Vladimir Putin. And then it is a political shift which should make the fate of Ukraine a little more of a capital subject in the European election campaign which is beginning.

Firstly, because it is undoubtedly the most important issue of the coming months for the entire European Union and therefore for France. A military victory for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine would threaten the fragile security balances of the entire continent, from the Baltic States to Scandinavian countries via Poland, and elsewhere. Reason why Emmanuel Macron urged his counterparts to “collective burst”, by repeating that “Russia must not win this war”. A response to the call for help launched the day before by President Volodymyr Zelensky to Westerners: “Our victory or defeat depends on you”.

An increasingly clear divide

And then, if the European electoral campaign should focus on the fate of Ukraine, it is also because as the war lasts, the divide is more and more clear and two camps face each other. On the one hand, the supporters of unfailing political and military support for kyiv. This is the position of the Macronist majority, even if in reality, military aid from France and Europe proves insufficient. On the left, the leader of the socialist list, Raphaël Glucksmann, is the most fervent defender of Ukraine and he demanded, on Monday, on franceinfo, many more arms deliveries to kyiv. And then opposite, there are the Insoumis and the National Rally who refuse any additional aid to the Ukrainians despite their difficulties on the ground. Manuel Bompard, Insoumis deputy, repeats that “the military path is a dead end” and Marine Le Pen wants “explore avenues for a peaceful settlement of the conflict”.

Marine Le Pen wants to discuss with Vladimir Putin and therefore ratify his victory and the partition of Ukraine since his troops occupy part of the country. This abandonment of kyiv is in line with the far-right party line. Marine Le Pen recognized the annexation of Crimea, against the advice of the international community and the RN European deputies did not vote for most of the aid paid to Ukraine for two years. As they have always refused to condemn the conditions of detention of Alexeï Navalny. Jordan Bardella recognized this weekend, for the RN, Russia is too powerful a country to take the risk of offending Vladimir Putin.