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During a press conference with the German Chancellor, Emmanuel Macron reiterated his support for Ukraine in the face of renewed tensions with Moscow. Olaf Scholz also warned Moscow that any threat once morest the territorial integrity of Ukraine would entail a “very high cost for Russia”.
“The response will be there” and “the Russia will pay a very high cost” in the event of an attack on Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday, January 25, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Alternating firmness and a desire for dialogue, the French president stressed that Westerners were “totally united” and “coordinated” on Ukraine, while Russia has begun military maneuvers at the gates of this country and Washington is threatening to economic sanctions.
“We are preparing the common reaction and the response in the event of aggression in parallel,” said the French president, the day following a videoconference between the United States and Europeans intended to show Western unity, a meeting requested by the president. American Joe Biden.
“We can only see that Russia is becoming a power of imbalance”, also declared Emmanuel Macron, noting that the acts of destabilization of former Soviet states “are increasing”.
>> To read: Ukraine: Are London and Washington right to be alarmist regarding Moscow?
A call between Macron and Putin on Friday
The head of state, however, called for “not abandoning” the dialogue with Russia. He thus announced that he will have a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Friday, from whom he intends to ask for “clarifications” on Moscow’s intentions with regard to Ukraine. Paris is also pleading for a direct dialogue between the EU and Russia – in vain for the moment – in order to avoid a face-to-face Russia-United States which would relegate Europe to the background.
The Elysée has therefore decided to invite the diplomatic advisers of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents and the German chancellor to Paris on Wednesday for a discussion with four countries in the so-called “Normandy” format, in which the Franco-German tandem officiates as mediator of the conflict.
“To give up is to acknowledge that the political situation is no longer on the table. The meeting of our diplomatic advisers and the prospect of a future meeting, which will be organized this time in Germany, creates positive expectations and makes it possible to engage things,” insisted the French president.
“Is the discussion between the United States and Russia a good thing? Yes. Has this discussion produced concrete results? I haven’t seen any,” Emmanuel Macron said once more. “The discussion with Russia is always difficult, having re-engaged this one in 2019, I might see it,” he acknowledged. “But it is important to keep these channels of discussion”, concluded the French president.
Olaf Scholz also warned Moscow that any threat to Ukraine’s territorial integrity would entail a “very high cost for Russia”, saying however that he did not want to speculate on Vladimir Putin’s intentions.
“Only one possibility to resolve this difficult situation, by promoting all contacts, all discussion formats”, added Olaf Scholz. “We have to talk to each other, we argue, but we have to try to progress and get out of this delicate situation. I am satisfied with the leadership that we are currently seeing”.
“We therefore expect Russia to take clear steps to contribute to a de-escalation of the situation and we all agree that military aggression would have serious consequences,” he warned.
Asked why Germany refused to deliver arms to Ukraine, Olaf Scholz recalled that it was a position of principle “flowing naturally from the evolution of recent years and decades” , a choice particularly linked to the country’s responsibility during the Second World War.
With AFP and Archyde.com
