“We are in a psychological battle, and above all a political and diplomatic battle”analyzed Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs under Jacques Chirac, invited Wednesday, February 9 on France Inter, concerning the crisis in Ukraine, after discussions between Emmanuel Macron and his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts. “Vladimir Putin will not say anything about his intentions, because until everything is settled, nothing is settled, it is a basic principle of a diplomatic negotiation”he added.
>> Crisis in Ukraine: “Europe is reintegrating into the global peace process”, according to a former French ambassador to Russia
According to him, the Russian President “maintains vagueness and tension” corn “Russia does not necessarily have an interest in war today”. “Who says mobilization on a border, including 125,000 men, does not mean that Russia will take action”indicated Dominique de Villepin, for whom this military presence is above all a lever that has made it possible for Europe to take “seriously” the “Russian security file” while imposing negotiation as the only alternative to armed conflict.
“Vladimir Putin is very predictable, he has goals, I don’t believe in an imperialist, uncontrollable, expansionist Russia”he claimed, adding that Vladimir Putin “can earn a lot” in negotiations, “perhaps until the lifting of the sanctions which weigh on Russia in order to truly open it to Europe”. “Vladimir Putin has marked a position of strength and he masters an agenda for today because he has put down his military pawns (…) but we are strengthening our diplomatic game, we are showing that we have cards”explained Dominique de Villepin, recalling that Russia is “poor power”or “there is pain” and so “a political risk for Putin”.
“The new element of these last hours is that a dialogue has been established, a dialogue and at the same time a diplomatic balance of power”he added, in reference to the diplomatic marathon of Emmanuel Macron who also met the Polish and German heads of state with the aim of displaying a common objective.
“There is a unity that is taking shape on the side of the Europeans which changes us from the deep divisions that have long been expressed on all of these subjects.”
Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairsat franceinfo
The former minister clarified that “this does not mean that everything is settled, it remains to make real breakthroughs on the diplomatic level”.
According to him, one of “extremely difficult points” live in “the question of the freezing or the enlargement of NATO to the borders of Russia and in particular of the enlargement to Ukraine”which Russia takes for “an agression”. “The negotiation will by definition be complicated since it is a question of Ukrainian sovereignty”he assured, while being convinced that he “There are possibilities for progress”. In accordance “open door principle” of NATO, it is not possible to prohibit Ukraine from entering NATO but it is possible to “enforce a political decision”, “a deal” not to sign the integration of Ukraine, since it “unanimity is needed in NATO decisions”. On the other hand, Dominique de Villepin felt that it was necessary to ask “a red line” showing “that we cannot compromise with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister, on the tensions between Ukraine and Russia: “We are in a battle which is very largely psychological, and above all diplomatic and political.” pic.twitter.com/DHuul99AbW
– France Inter (@franceinter) February 9, 2022