MACRON SPEECH. After the announcement of “massive sanctions” against Russia this Friday, February 25 at the end of the European Council, a note from Emmanuel Macron must be read in the Senate and the National Assembly at 2:30 p.m. More speeches are expected in the coming hours.
“To this act of war, we will respond without weakness, with composure, determination and unity.” Thursday, February 24, a few hours after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron condemned Vladimir Putin’s decision and promised the taking of economic and military sanctions “at the height of the aggression [la Russie] is guilty.” No sooner said than done, alongside the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, at two o’clock in the morning on the night of February 24 to 25, 2022 , the Head of State presented the outline of an “additional package of massive and painful sanctions” against Russia on the financial level, the energy and transport sectors, on access on European capital markets and on visa policy. These decisions were taken during the European Council held last night in Brussels, and will soon be supplemented by the sanctions imposed on Moscow by NATO, whose summit is being held this Friday, February 25 2022. Emmanuel Macron clarified that the Belarusian regime “accomplice of the Russian offensive” will also be affected by sanctions.
In his morning speech, Emmanuel Macron recalled that by unleashing a war in Europe, Vladimir Putin “is flouting[e] all the principles that govern international law, charters and treaties sovereignly signed by Russia in recent decades”. He also reaffirmed the unity and support of Europe and the European Union for Ukraine in this ordeal Economic aid of 1.2 billion euros, financed by France to the tune of 300 million, will be sent to Kiev as support, in addition to military reinforcements at the borders. ‘shipment’ to Estonia [d’]a new contingent within the enhanced forward presence, [l’anticipation] its participation in the Baltic Sky Police from the month of March, and [l’accélération de] its deployment in Romania”.
After these two interventions of a few minutes, Emmanuel Macron could speak again very soon, especially at the end of the NATO summit. If no new speech has been announced, we know that a message signed by Emmanuel Macron will be read before the National Assembly and the Senate by the respective presidents of the parliamentary chambers, Richard Ferrand and Gérard Larcher, this Friday, February 25. at 2:30 p.m.
Date of Emmanuel Macron’s next speech
Emmanuel Macron’s short speech on Thursday, February 24 only served to formalize Vladimir Putin’s entry into the war against Ukraine. He returned in more detail to the responses of Europe against the Russian head of state a few hours later from Brussels, at the end of the European Council. With a NATO summit being held this Friday, February 25 and the Head of State’s promise to come back to the French to “keep them informed of the evolution of the situation and the decisions that[il sera] brought to take”, we must expect new speeches from Emmanuel Macron in the coming hours.
Only an indirect intervention by the President of the Republic has, for the moment, been confirmed: the President of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, will read the note left by the President of the Republic at 2.30 p.m. in front of the Chamber, just like Gérard Larcher in the Senate. On the content of the message, it is possible that the sanctions against Moscow during the G7 and the European Council organized yesterday will be detailed.
Emmanuel Macron condemns Russia’s entry into war against Ukraine
Vladimir Putin announced on the night of February 23 and 24, 2022 the launch of a military operation in Ukraine. In his speech delivered on February 24, Emmanuel Macron spoke of a “massive military attack” which “contravenes all the commitments made by the Russian authorities” and constitutes “a violation of the United Nations Charter as well as the founding principles of the European and international order”. The President of the Republic strongly condemned the Kremlin’s choice to start a war and thus “bring the most serious attack on peace and stability in our Europe for decades”. France takes the side of Ukraine and the Elysée affirmed to stand alongside the leaders and the Ukrainian people in this ordeal. Whatever the evolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, these events mark “a turning point in the history of Europe and our country. They will have lasting, profound consequences on our lives, consequences on the geopolitics of our continents “said the head of state, in a serious tone. He promises to hold Russia “to account”.