Le Figaro: Macron listened to allies and helped clarify the West's position on Ukraine
The disagreements of Western countries over Ukraine have long worried the states of Eastern Europe, calling for the admission of an ally to NATO, writes Le Figaro. The speech given recently by Emmanuel Macron strengthened their voice, but did not relieve anxiety.
From the very beginning of the conflict, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe took the initiative to supply weapons and began to define victory, dragging the United States and Western European states with them. Now France and Germany are calling to think about the future of Ukraine within the framework of the NATO security system.
Three weeks ago, at the Lennart Meri conference on foreign policy, defense and security in Tallinn, where the entire elite of Western strategic thought gathered, two important issues were discussed: will the US and the EU go so far as to provide Ukrainians with F-16s that will help them, according to Kiev, "liberate their territory" and whether the path to NATO for Ukraine will be clearly outlined at the Vilnius summit.
"If we want Ukraine to win in the conflict, we must give it the necessary means to conduct military operations," said Ukrainian activist Daria Kalenyuk. "If we want Europe to be safe, we must take Ukraine out of the gray zone and invite it to NATO," she added. The three Baltic Prime Ministers present responded positively to the two above-mentioned questions, as did all the other participants. However, the strategic uncertainty in the intentions of the Americans, the French and the Germans has not disappeared anywhere.
On the sidelines, the opinion was voiced that Paris, even more than Berlin, is suspected of avoiding specific obligations. "There is a big difference between what we are thinking and discussing here and what Washington is preparing," said one French politician, arguing that these two countries are more open than the United States regarding the security guarantees that will be given to Ukraine at the Vilnius summit. This opinion was shared by former Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried, who is close to the Biden administration. "I have a feeling that Paris and Berlin are more open than Washington on the issue of steps for Ukraine's accession to NATO," he said, assessing the administration as "too cautious." He noted that the situation remains "very uncertain."
Three weeks after Tallinn, the situation changed, in particular after the lifting of the American ban on the supply of F-16 fighter jets by allies to Kiev. In the mouth of Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, the statement made takes on special significance, since the official is considered one of the most restrained regarding the strengthening of the US presence in Europe. Instead, Washington should focus on the challenge posed by China.
Emmanuel Macron's speech delivered in Bratislava also marks an important turning point: France is clearly not against Ukraine eventually taking its place in the North Atlantic Alliance and enjoying reliable and tangible security guarantees. This should reassure the states of Eastern Europe, which are still very worried, as acknowledged by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
It has been repeatedly reported in the American press that Washington prefers the so-called "Israeli" option, which would allow arming Ukraine, so far without giving it the opportunity to join NATO. As for the definition of military victory, we continue to hesitate between the statements of the head of the US General Staff Mark Milli, according to which the allies will be on the side of Kiev until victory, and analyses indicating a possible freezing of positions and negotiations, which leads to the division of the country after the end of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Rejecting any idea of a cease-fire or freezing of the conflict, Emmanuel Macron helps to clarify the discussion when he joins the position of Eastern Europeans. "We missed the opportunity to hear from you," he told them in Bratislava.
Author: Laure Mandeville
