Support for Ukraine, war in Gaza and possible re-election of Trump… Jean-Yves Le Drian’s 8:30 a.m. franceinfo

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs was the guest on 8:30 a.m. franceinfo on Thursday March 14, 2024. He responded to Salhia Brakhlia and Jérôme Chapuis

Jean-Yves Le Drian, former Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs between 2017 and 2022, current personal representative of the President of the Republic for Lebanon, was the guest of 8:30 a.m. franceinfo on Thursday March 14, 2024. Ukraine, Gaza, consequences of a possible election of Donald Trump in the United States, he responded to Salhia Brakhlia and Jérôme Chapuis.

Support for Ukraine: “If we demarcate the playing field, we tell our opponent how to play”

Jean-Yves Le Drian returned to the Head of State’s statements regarding the possible sending of Western troops to Ukraine, which sowed unrest among other European leaders. For him, if Emmanuel Macron stressed that no consensus existed “at this stage” among kyiv’s allies, he defended the principle of a “strategic ambiguity” towards Russia. For Jean-Yves Le Drian, Emmanuel Macron “raised awareness of the scope of the subject” in Europe. It is “don’t set limits”he summarized. “If we demarcate the playing field, we indicate to our opponent how to play”which makes it possible not to give it “marbles” and of “cards”. “So we have to sow doubt and what the President of the Republic wanted to do was to sow ambiguity. Strategic ambiguity is an essential element of armed conflicts and I think that Emmanuel Macron had the good idea to leave this doubt.”

“Everything Benjamin Netanyahu does goes against Israel’s interests”

“The indiscriminate hyperviolence (in the Gaza Strip) is appalling and does nothing to help Israel’s security going forward.”, estimated Jean-Yves Le Drian. After more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas, triggered after a bloody attack by the Islamist movement, the human toll continues to rise in the Palestinian enclave and the UN fears widespread famine. “What is happening in Gaza is dramatic”he continued. “It is a scandalous disaster and it is also a disaster for Israel”he warns, to the extent that “Generations will live in resentment.” “Everything Benjamin Netanyahu does goes against Israel’s interests”he castigates.

“Perhaps tomorrow there will be an even stronger American isolationist retreat than today”

“It’s possible” that there is a danger for NATO if Donald Trump is re-elected president of the United States, warns Jean-Yves Le Drian. “I hope that the Americans will continue to respect the fundamentals of the Atlantic Alliance and the 1949 treaty, but that is not certain”he continues, specifying that “the situation has changed”. “Europeans must question their own destiny, knowing that perhaps tomorrow there will be an even stronger American isolationist retreat than today.”