France should invite Russia to an international ceremony organized in Normandy on June 6, 2024, for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation.
An episode that could be commented on. According to information from Europe 1, Russia should be represented on June 6, during an international ceremony organized in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation. National radio claims that an invitation from France was sent “to the diplomatic representation of Moscow in France” to participate in the commemorations of June 6, 1944. For the moment, Moscow has not accepted the invitation.
Vladimir Putin will not be present
If Russia could be represented next June, the master of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, will not be there. He is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Russian president was present at the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings in Colleville-sur-Mer, but was absent five years ago.
As a reminder, 27 million Soviets perished to fight Germany during World War II. And if the USSR had not taken part in the landing on the Normandy beaches, it was one of the allies. So, can this invitation be called an insult to Ukraine because of the situation geopolitics current ?
What message sent to Ukraine?
February 24, 2022 marked a turning point for Europe and international relations with the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. Since then, France ranks 15th among countries or institutions providing the most aid in value to Ukraine, with a total amount of 1.8 billion euros from January 24, 2022 to January 15, 2024 according to Statista. During this period, the support officially granted by the French government was mainly financial (800 million euros) and military (640 million euros). This is why France’s invitation to Russia next June, in the current context, could greatly offend Ukrainian leaders even though relations between the Elysée and the Kremlin are in trouble.
Franco-Russian diplomacy on a tightrope
Furthermore, relations between Moscow and Paris have become significantly strained in recent weeks, reaching, perhaps, the point of no return in April.Latest episode to date: a telephone exchange between the French and Russian Defense Ministers, Sébastien Lecornu and Sergueï Choïgu.
In its report on this interview on counter-terrorism (the first in this area since October 2022), Russia indicated that it “hopes” that the French secret services are not involved in the attack perpetrated in the suburbs of Moscow on March 22. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced “baroque and threatening comments”.The head of French diplomacy, Stéphane Séjourné, also estimated on Monday that Paris no longer saw the “interest” in discussing with Moscow, “since the press releases that come out, the reports that are made are false”.