(Washington) French President Emmanuel Macron assured his NATO allies on Thursday that France would continue to fulfill its “international commitments” and support Ukraine “as long as necessary,” despite political uncertainty following the legislative elections.
“I was able to confirm to all my counterparts and allies that France would have an approach of continuity of its international commitments, whether it concerns Europe, the Alliance or support for Ukraine, because the political forces which constitute a majority in the Assembly are in favour of these lines,” he declared during a press conference in Washington following a NATO summit.
“In no case were the forces that were challenging them the ones who emerged with a majority and that reassured them,” he added, targeting the extreme right and left.
“Moreover, France has a clear Constitution in these areas which ensures the continuity of its foreign policy and its international credibility,” he further stressed.
The head of state, however, refused to comment on the internal political situation in France from Washington.
According to him, his counterparts are “relieved” because the “risk of having a political party that questions the presence in the integrated command of NATO, that questions our deterrence for another, that profoundly questions aid to Ukraine” is fading. He was thus making a veiled allusion to the positions of the National Rally on NATO and of France Insoumise on the policy of deterrence.
Our support continues to make a difference and must enable Ukraine to respond to Russian attacks. We will continue to support it for as long as necessary.
Emmanuel Macron, French President
“It is in this spirit that important decisions have also been taken here in Washington to anchor our support over the long term and to move towards Ukraine’s accession to NATO.”
He also considered that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during his trips to Russia and China, had “no mandate” from the EU and had only committed his own country.
PHOTO MANDEL NGAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Viktor Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister
“I think it is entirely legitimate, and I am attached to the sovereignty of states and the independence of their diplomacy, that a head of government can go to a state of his choice,” he said.
“There should simply be no ambiguity: he did not do it as president this semester with European responsibilities,” he added as Hungary took the 1er July the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.
“And so it was as Hungarian Prime Minister that he was able to visit these countries, it was very useful. […]but by making his visits he did not commit us in any way because he did not inform us in advance and did not receive any mandate,” he concluded.
Viktor Orbán has sparked anger and incomprehension within the European Union by visiting Vladimir Putin, a “peace initiative” not agreed with the Twenty-Seven.
Rebuilding the Kyiv Children’s Hospital
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his “deep emotion” to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday after deadly Russian strikes on the country and offered France’s help to rebuild the destroyed children’s hospital in Kyiv.
During an interview on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, he “condemned these unacceptable attacks, against civilian targets and in particular against the pediatric hospital in Kyiv, with the greatest firmness and specified that France was ready to provide the necessary support for the reconstruction of this hospital which is so important for the Ukrainians,” the Élysée Palace indicated.
The strikes killed more than 40 people and devastated Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital on Monday.
The attack on the Okhmatdyt hospital has caused shock in the country, which has been suffering Russian bombing for more than two years, and among its allies.