After the crisis of the Australian submarines this fall and that of Mali since the beginning of the year, a new geopolitical front is essential at the heart of the electoral campaign for the French presidential election. Vladimir Putin’s decision on Monday, February 21 to recognize the independence of Ukrainian separatist territories and to send troops there raises fears of a military escalation in the region.
Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to promote a dialogue between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin has failed, making the head of state – not yet a candidate for his succession – the target of opposition attacks in France. Presidential candidates have taken different positions in this conflict.
On the far left, the “non-aligned” camp
On the far left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon is of the opinion not to align himself either with Russia or with Ukraine, which leans towards the West. The candidate of La France insoumise (LFI) thus proposes Tuesday, February 22 “a conference of borders” within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) “of which the United States, Russia and all European countries are members”he recalls during a press conference broadcast on his Twitter channel. According to him, “We need to know what the Russians are talking regarding and want and what the North Americans on the European continent and the Europeans want. » In an interview with the daily West France at the beginning of the monthhe wanted France to be “non-aligned, which means that neither the Russians should enter Ukraine, nor the Americans should annex Ukraine into NATO”.
On the same side of the political spectrum, Fabien Roussel also shares this position. During his meeting in Marseilles, at the beginning of the month, the deputy from the North considered that France should “stop being aligned[e] behind the American war policy” and thus find « [sa] voice “ and thus advocates an exit from NATO. In a video posted on Tuesday on social networks, he specifies that Vladimir Putin’s decision was « grave » and “dangerous”. For him, “everything must be done to defuse this war which threatens the gates of Europe”.
Those who propose a joint intervention with the European Union
Yannick Jadot also wanted to react following this new episode in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Like Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Fabien Roussel, he also posted a video of his reaction on Twitterwithout aligning themselves with their reading of the situation. “I call for a firm and unambiguous reaction from France and a united Europe. Without Europe, we will not achieve the balance of power once morest Vladimir Putin. » For him, “ecologists are the only ones in France to have never shown complacency vis-à-vis Putin and dictatorships when too many leaders of the extreme right, right and left, show so much complacency and sometimes compromises », he said without naming anyone. The candidate also participated on Tuesday followingnoon in a rally he himself called for in front of the Russian Embassy in Paris, in “Solidarity with the Ukrainian people. » In addition, he wants the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project to be abandoned, which, he says, prevents the Europeans from acting once morest Moscow. Germany announced Tuesday to suspend the authorization process.
Christiane Taubira believes that “diplomacy must continue to work” and “the solidarity of European states with Ukraine must not fail”. On February 6, the former Keeper of the Seals was of the opinion of an initiative for dialogue with Russia “coordinated with European partners”. Anne Hidalgo is getting closer to this position of dialogue, while denouncing the initiative of the Russian president. “Vladimir Putin’s unilateral decision constitutes a violation of international law and of Ukraine’s sovereignty. France and Europe must show solidarity, united and firm in the face of this threat to peace in Europe. » The mayor of Paris must organize a conference on this subject Wednesday, February 23 at the headquarters of his campaign.
Valérie Pécresse, the candidate of the Republicans, spoke this Tuesday in the morning of France Inter. She asked for “economic sanctions targeted at Russia”by adding “that Europe must think regarding being able to help Ukraine more”. She took the opportunity to scratch Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, accused of “align with Russia’s positions” and to want so “to see France on its knees”.
Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour opposed to Ukraine joining NATO
At the microphone of RTL also this Tuesday, Marine Le Pen made it known that “France has submitted to a form of cold war once morest Russia, imposed by a European Union itself very attentive to the Americans” and “economic sanctions are not effective”. However, she added in a press release that “Vladimir Putin’s decision is an eminently regrettable act which does not contribute to the necessary de-escalation of tensions […] Nevertheless, everything must be done to return to the path of dialogue in order to ensure peace in Europe.”. On France 5on February 13, she had estimated that it was the “willingness to integrate Ukraine into NATO which creates a form of concern on the part of Russia”. According to her, the only solution for a “de-escalation is that Ukraine does not fit into NATO”.
Eric Zemmour also asserts, in a press releasethat economic sanctions are “inefficient” and not “will not solve the more general problem of security in Europe raised by the situation in Ukraine”. He believes that Russia’s decision “violates the sovereignty of Ukraine and the principle of intangibility of borders” and mark as “the effective end of the Minsk agreements”. If elected on April 24, he promises to propose “to Russia and to all the European States which will want it the negotiation of a treaty consecrating the end of the expansion of NATO” in exchange for a “withdrawal of Russian troops to the border of Ukraine”.