The Head of State promised Wednesday evening on France 2 that “radar, systems and missiles” anti-aircraft in Ukraine, without specifying when they would be delivered. Emmanuel Macron also said he was considering sending six additional Caesar guns. These armaments are “important”, reacts on franceinfo la Ukrainian journalist Tetyana Ogarkova, head of the international department at the NGO Ukraine Crisis Media Center. But she notes that Russia “still has a huge arsenal” and that his “advantage is still there, in terms of missiles”.
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franceinfo: What did you think of Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Ukraine on Wednesday evening on France 2?
Tetyana Ogarkova: This intervention was important for the Ukrainians. We listened very carefully to this interview. We are pleased to have heard the words of support and especially the [choses] practices proposed by Emmanuel Macron, including armaments, additional Caesar guns and anti-aircraft defense systems.
All this is very good. It was important for the Ukrainians to hear that France supports the return of Ukraine to the 1991 borders, because it concerns the restoration of the territorial unity of Ukraine, including the Crimea.
Tetyana Ogarkova, Ukrainian journalistat franceinfo
Of course, there is this nuance because Emmanuel Macron said that no doubt, at some point, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin will have an interest in deciding the fate of this conflict, not militarily but through negotiations. Ukraine would be quite ready to negotiate on the condition that Russia leaves Ukrainian territory. The problem is that we are not very optimistic on that side because we know very well, in practice, that it is not possible.
Is it still possible to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, despite all the war crimes committed since March by Russia?
A decision was taken by Volodymyr Zelensky a few days ago: there will be no negotiations with this president, but there will be negotiations with a new president of Russia. The Ukrainian president has implied that we don’t forgive the war crimes committed in Ukraine, the death of civilians, of children, of women, the mass missile strikes, so it’s not negotiable. But of course, in reality, if it’s to sign a military defeat for Russia, I think everything is negotiable. On the other hand, we have very few illusions here in Ukraine on the possibility that Russia agrees to withdraw its troops and recognizes itself guilty of this aggression.
Will the radars, missiles, anti-aircraft defense systems and six Caesar guns promised by Emmanuel Macron help the Ukrainian army enough?
This is a significant number of armaments, but Russia still has a huge arsenal, even if it is 20th century, 1960s or even 1940s armaments. Their advantage is still there in terms of of missiles. Their missiles can reach 2,000 km while it is always repeated by the Western partners that Ukraine must defend itself in Ukraine, without touching Russian territory, that still means a certain impunity for Russia, which continues to carry out strikes devoid of military sense very far from the front line. This impunity is favored by the decision not to touch Russia, not to provoke it.