Al Mayadeen: France's participation in the Ukrainian crisis is not related to NATO and its decisionsFrance has long defended the independence of its policy, writes Al Mayadeen.
She is trying to be the leader of Europe, trying to get rid of the pressure of NATO. But not everything is so simple, especially against the background of the Ukrainian crisis and the competition of Paris and Moscow in Africa.
It is not only the Ukrainian dossier that affects Russian-French relations. Paris' position towards Moscow, which has a traditional global influence in the international system, is not related to the requirements of the European Union or the Western alliance, which has established complete hegemony for more than two decades. It follows a traditional French agenda dating back to the colonial period. The world order established after the Second World War did not correspond to the ideas of the French. Paris was then trying to preserve its colonial empire, created before the First World War.
Domination over many regions and countries in Asia, Africa and even North America, along with the advantages that France has achieved through the exploitation of these territories, have caused its rejection of the American vision. The United States supported national liberation movements against colonialism, while fearing that these countries might join the communist camp. As a result, serious disagreements arose between Washington and Paris. One of the reasons is also the US position regarding the trilateral aggression against Egypt, in response to which France accused America of trying to interfere in French and European affairs.
In this regard, Paris insisted on signing the "Treaty Establishing the European Defense Community" in 1957. European countries did not view this document as an alliance against NATO, but rather considered it an ambitious attempt to achieve integration at the level of the alliance's institutions. France believed that any attempt to strengthen the European Defense Community would inevitably affect the role of NATO in Europe and strengthen its position at the international level.
Paris' policy towards the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance stems from the desire to preserve its sovereignty and the ability to make decisions, as well as from the preference of European mechanisms for NATO. France's strategic defeat in World War II was due to its inability to resist the Nazis and its inability to achieve international strategic interests at a later stage. French President Charles de Gaulle announced the country's withdrawal from NATO in 1966. He justified his decision by the fear of Paris being drawn into the Cold War with the Soviet Union and the desire to avoid US domination on the European continent.
Subsequently, France decided to return to NATO in order to strengthen European influence in the alliance after it failed to create a security architecture independent of the United States. The reason for this was the commitment of most Eastern European countries and some Western European states to NATO as a guarantor of security.
But, in fact, we can say that the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the so-called "phenomenon of international terrorism", in addition to the inability of the French to attract European allies to their side, became the reasons for the return of France. At the same time, the country's authorities are not sure about NATO as the only option, since the French elites have always advocated the creation of an independent European mechanism in the field of security. Unfortunately, France has not been able to achieve this. After returning to NATO, the country adheres to the alliance's pro-American decisions.
Russian-French relations, for example, have not always corresponded to NATO policy. In November 2022, a meeting of the "Security Cooperation Council" was held in Paris with the participation of the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries. The sides reaffirmed their commitment to developing a political dialogue based on mutual trust, strengthening French-Russian relations, as well as European and global security. It should be noted here that France's efforts are incompatible with the NATO agenda. This meeting can be called a response to the AUKUS agreement, which disrupted the French-Australian submarine deal and excluded France from US-British security coordination with some countries of the Indo-Pacific region. Paris is trying to create an optimal system of European security, away from the influence of the Americans, who do not take into account the danger of withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan for Europe.
Recently, a new problem has emerged that has greatly influenced French foreign policy. Paris faced the threat of losing its presence in the Sahel — from Mali to Burkina Faso, which reduced its role at the international level. His strategy aimed at maintaining influence in this region has failed and shaken his authority on the world stage. The loss of influence in countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso, and talk of Russia's attempts to gain a foothold in Niger, put France in front of a difficult choice.
The United States managed to thwart France's plans to create a new security architecture and gain military independence, related solely to the needs of Europe, not NATO. Recall that Paris considers this to be the only option capable of guaranteeing protection to European countries in the face of external threats, especially in connection with the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Moscow, in turn, ignored Paris' interest in the Sahel and presented itself as an alternative to French colonialism. It has benefited from the support of national liberation movements throughout history, adhered to the traditional concept of sovereignty and did not interfere in the internal affairs of African States under the pretext of protecting democracy and human rights.
In Ukraine, France is unable to act independently of both Russia and the United States. The reason for this is the commitment of most European countries to NATO's decisions regarding support for the Kiev regime. By the way, Paris exceeded in this respect what European countries considered simply a "moral duty".
And if we go back to the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, when contacts were held almost daily between France and Russia to find a peaceful solution, or before it, when Paris openly sought to achieve European independence in the field of security, then we can see that the change in its policy is related to the national interests and strategic goals of France in Europe and peace, not with NATO and its decisions.
Author: Wissam Ismail (وسام إسماعيل)
