Joe Biden’s trip to kyiv is “a symbol of the United States’ return to the European theater”, says Jean-Louis Bourlanges

For Jean-Louis Bourlanges, chairman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Modem deputy, Joe Biden’s trip to kyiv is first and foremost “a symbol of the return of the United States to the European theater”. He estimates that “During the Trump era and even a little Obama, we had the feeling that Americans were losing interest in Europe and the Putin threat and focusing only on China”. According to him, this trip a few days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion is therefore a “massive reinvestment by Americans in the European theater” and this journey is “the symbol”.

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Regarding the desire of the American president to possibly provide 500 million dollars of additional assistance, Jean-Louis Bourlanges approves. For the deputy, the war is won on the ground: “If we stay with the current military status quo, there will be no peace. There can only be peace through a change in the balance of power.“It is therefore the duty of Europe to “to help” Ukraine and “provide him with the necessary means to defend himself”.

“Either the Russians win and there may be a peace, but it will be abominable, in which Europe will have lost all credibility, all respect and Ukraine will have lost its independence. Either Ukraine will gain ground and there the Russians will be forced to agree that this war is an impasse to sign peace.”

Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Modem MP

at franceinfo

Asked about Vladimir Putin’s speech scheduled for Tuesday morning, Jean-Louis Bourlanges says he is not afraid of the Russian president’s words but his actions: “We must fear the action of Vladimir Putin. His speeches varied a lot. We are dealing with changing speeches but with a determined will which is defeated by the Ukrainian resistance.”

Finally, on Emmanuel Macron’s speech at the Munich security conference and his wish to see Russia lose without crushing Moscow, MP Modem reacts: “There is a bit of a feeling – and it’s not only him but also other leaders – that they are sometimes afraid of winning this war. Our objectives are very specific, it is simply a question of liberating Ukrainian territory . It’s not about invading Russia at all.”