BFM TV DOCUMENT. On the plane that brought him back from the United Nations General Assembly from New York on Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron gave an exclusive interview to BFMTV. The opportunity for the Head of State to return to the latest statements by Vladimir Putin and to recall the French commitment to the Ukrainian dossier.
Between a particularly bellicose speech by Vladimir Putin on Russian television and speeches on the grandstand of the United Nations General Assembly, the conflict in Ukraine experienced a singular acceleration on Wednesday. On the plane that brought him back from New York and the United Nations summit a few hours later, Emmanuel Macron gave an exclusive interview to our journalist Ulysse Gosset.
At the microphone of BFMTV, the Head of State condemned the Russian “escalation” on the Ukrainian front, and recalled the French “line” on the matter.
Macron condemns Putin’s nuclear “blackmail”
While Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of the Russian population, and thus the recruitment of 300,000 reservists, and loudly considered the use of nuclear weapons in the event that his country’s “vital interests” were threatened, Emmanuel Macron held in preamble to condemn the autocrat’s claims. “Russia has decided to take a step in the escalation”, the president regretted.
Seeking both to take his Russian counterpart’s speech seriously and not to take him at his word, Emmanuel Macron chastised Vladimir Putin’s expressed willingness to use “all weapons” – including nuclear weapons – from his troops’ arsenal if necessary. .
“Obviously it is blackmail and of course he has these weapons and the risk is still there. But it is also a means of pressure”, Emmanuel Macron smiled.
“Russia isolates itself diplomatically”
The Head of State explained the tightening of the tone adopted by the Kremlin for Russia’s military difficulties on the front, as well as for the economic and diplomatic unease.
“There is a counter-offensive from the south and north that has destabilized the Russian front, this is the first element. Obviously the Russian economic situation is obviously more complex than what has been said, a more convertible ruble, value chains that collapse companies they leave the territory and the partners do not help as expected. And the third thing, Russia isolates itself diplomatically, “said Emmanuel Macron.
For Macron, “it will only end around a table”
The Head of State then set the French “line” in this tense context: “We are not at war with Russia, but we must help Ukraine and convince other countries to follow us to increase the pressure on Russia”.
Because for the President of the Republic the end of the crisis is an invitation to take the path of multilateral dialogue: “Russia is very clearly under pressure but we must put ourselves in a position to re-establish a dialogue. We are not in an impasse. (…) It will only end around a table! We cannot give in to a fugitive. “
“We must put ourselves in a position to re-establish the conditions for a dialogue for peace”, the French president hammered again, who however stressed that this will not be done at any price. He indicated that peace should at least guarantee “the February lines” – that is, the borders in place before the February 24 invasion – and therefore the “national integrity” of Ukraine before the conflict.
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