After Romania, Emmanuel Macron flew to neighboring Moldova. While the country is one of the most affected by the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the Head of State expressed France’s support for its candidacy for membership of the European Union, just like Ukraine and Georgia.
Will he go to kyiv on Thursday? French President Emmanuel Macron did not confirm directly but on Wednesday deemed necessary “new discussions” with Ukraine, while justifying himself after the controversy triggered by his calls to “not humiliate” Russia.
“ At the gates of our European Union, an unprecedented geopolitical situation is playing out “, he declared in front of the French troops deployed on the NATO base of Mihail Kogalniceanu, in the south-east of Romania, not far from the strategic Black Sea. ” I think that we are at a time when we, the European Union, need to send clear political signals with regard to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in a context where they have been resisting heroically for several months “, he underlined, asked about a possible imminent visit to kyiv.
According to several media, Emmanuel Macron would be expected there on Thursday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
” We will have to negotiate »
Emmanuel Macron’s trip to the eastern flank of Europe, at the gates of Ukraine, is the first since the start, on February 24, of the invasion launched by Moscow. It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday evening urged his compatriots to “ hold out in the Donbass, a “vital” region in eastern Ukraine on which the rest of the war will depend.
Faced with this situation, Emmanuel Macron, who occupies the French presidency of the EU until the end of June, believes that ” warrant further in-depth discussions and further progress “. It is, he said, “ continue the cooperative equipment effort, the financial effort ” and of ” to finalize important discussions in order to be able to release Ukrainian cereals », affected by the blockade imposed by the Russian fleet.
On this subject, Paris and Bucharest have agreed to “cooperate closely” to improve the emergency solutions put in place via the Romanian port of Constanta and the Danube, explained alongside him Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. France also said it was ready last week to help lift the blockade of the Ukrainian port of Odessa.
After the wave of criticism and incomprehension, particularly in kyiv, aroused by his calls not to ” not humiliate Russia “, Emmanuel Macron also recalled “the clarity” of the French position of support for Ukraine, “ without any kindness towards Moscow. ” But we want to build peace “, he insisted. ” At some point, when we have helped as much as possible to resist, when I wish, Ukraine will have won and especially when the fire has stopped, we will have to negotiate. Ukrainian President (…) dwill have to negotiate with Russia and we Europeans will be around this table “.
Night under the tent
Arrived Tuesday evening in Romania, Emmanuel Macron dined with French soldiers, before deciding, according to the Élysée, to stay to sleep on the spot under a tent rather than at the hotel. France is deploying 500 soldiers on the spot, alongside soldiers from Belgium and other nations, a mission which should ramp up with 1,000 men by the end of the year. On Wednesday morning, he took a jog before having breakfast with the soldiers and meeting President Iohannis, with whom he spoke for more than an hour.
Accompanied by the new Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, Emmanuel Macron then flew to neighboring Moldova. He pleaded on Wednesday for the countries of the European Union to send a ” positive and clear signal to Moldova’s application for EU membership, even if this “path” comes with “conditions”, he recalled in Chisinau.
“ The answer will be clear but there will be conditions “, declared Emmanuel Macron during a press briefing with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu, while France occupies the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union until June 30. ” I want us to send a positive and clear signal to Moldova. However, I want to keep the conditions to precisely build unanimity, consensus within the States Europeans, he developed in the Moldovan capital.
(With AFP)