Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, referred to Russia, which is headed by Vladimir Putin, as an opponent that would not stop in Ukraine even if it beat Kyiv’s forces in the battle that has been going on for two years. He stressed the need of Europeans not being “weak” and becoming ready to retaliate.
Macron’s statement that he could not rule out the deployment of foot soldiers in Ukraine in the future sparked a lot of controversy last month. Many politicians distanced themselves from that statement, while others, particularly in Eastern Europe, showed support for it.
In a televised interview that was mostly addressed at a domestic audience, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “If Russia wins this war, Europe’s credibility will be reduced to zero.” This statement was made in response to French opposition leaders who characterized his words as bellicose.
Macron said he “deeply” disagrees with the opposition leaders. “Today, deciding to abstain or vote against support to Ukraine, it’s not choosing peace, it’s choosing defeat. It’s different,” he said.
Macron’s main opposition party, the far-right of Marine Le Pen, abstained in parliament on a vote earlier this week about a security pact France signed with Ukraine, while the hard-left France Unbowed party voted against it.
“If war spread in Europe, Russia would be to blame,” Macron added. “But if we decided to be weak; if we decided today that we would not respond, it would be choosing defeat already. And I don’t want that.”