French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that his country should have paid more attention to Eastern European countries, which warned of the threat from the Russian Federation.
He said this during a speech at the Globsec forum in Bratislava, reports “European truth” with reference to Reuters.
Macron stressed that there should be no division between “Old Europe” and “New Europe”, referring to the long-standing differences between the eastern and western members of the EU, in particular on the Russian issue.
“Some have said that you have lost the opportunity to remain silent. I think we have also lost the opportunity to listen to you. That time is over,” Macron said.
He alluded to a statement by former French President Jacques Chirac, who in 2003 said Eastern European states that backed the US and Britain in the decision to invade Iraq lost “a good opportunity to keep quiet.”
The French president stressed that Russia had suffered obvious setbacks in the war against Ukraine.
“The war is far from over, but one thing is clear: Ukraine will not be conquered. We see that what should have been a “special operation” is already a geopolitical failure,” Macron added.
Macron has previously called for provide Ukraine with “tangible and reliable security guarantees”.
He also emphasized that the West must do everything possible to help Ukraine conduct an effective counter-offensivebecause it “gives a chance for a lasting peace”.
2023-05-31 19:29:47
#listened
