These are two political figures whose relations are not excellent. However, Emmanuel Macron and François Hollande discussed the war in Ukraine. After his controversial remarks on the potential sending of Western troops to Ukraine, an option rejected by European allies and the United States, the head of state met on Wednesday evening the former socialist president and then another former president, Nicolas Sarkozy . Meetings which took place more than two years after the start of the Russian invasion.
“Anything that alters the unity of Europe” is “contrary to the broadest possible support for Ukraine,” said François Hollande at the end of this interview with Emmanuel Macron. “It is very important that there is the broadest consensus for support for Ukraine, on everything that could be material aid, military aid, at the level of France and at the European level,” he insisted, while Kiev is asking for more weapons and ammunition.
For François Hollande, who has “met a lot” with Vladimir Putin, “that’s what can make (him) think.” “He was always in this search for the balance of power, he wants to impress, so the only possible response is to show that we are with the Ukrainians in total solidarity, that we give them all the necessary support, without us- even participate in any combat whatsoever,” he insisted.
“The less we say, the better we act”
Asked more specifically about Emmanuel Macron’s comments regarding possible troop shipments, he replied: “My position on military questions is: the less we say, the better we act.” “Not saying what you are doing, but doing what you haven’t said. That’s what allows you to be most effective,” he judged.
François Hollande also considered that “we must all deliver more” to Ukraine. “The Germans (must) move faster so that their commitments are kept, the French give as much equipment, including the most sophisticated, to the Ukrainians, and the Europeans more generally not simply offload equipment which is not necessarily the most effective,” he said.
Emmanuel Macron also receives the leaders of the parties represented in Parliament this Thursday morning to discuss the conflict in Ukraine ahead of a parliamentary vote. The President of the Republic, who promised to go to Ukraine before mid-March, intends to make the Russian invasion one of the major subjects of the campaign for the European elections.