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Putin hoping for ‘long-lasting’ war, says Macron

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is hoping for a "long-lasting war" in Ukraine and believes time is on his side, French President Emmanuel Macron told CNN on Friday.

Published: 24 June 2023 09:14 CEST

Putin hoping for 'long-lasting' war, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Paris on June 23, 2023. Photo: Lewis Joly/AFP.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is hoping for a “long-lasting war” in Ukraine and believes time is on his side, French President Emmanuel Macron told CNN on Friday.

In an interview with the American channel, he added that Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive would be crucial in bringing the Kremlin leader to the negotiating table.

“I think the purpose of this counter-offensive is to push the Russians to negotiate and come back at the table at obviously better conditions for the Ukrainians,” Macron said, speaking in English.

Asked if Putin might be ready to accept concessions, Macron replied: “If there is a big change due to the counter-offensive, this is possible.

Putin’s “preference would be definitely a long-lasting war because I think his certainty is that time is playing for Russia,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, Macron accused Russia of being “a destabilising force in Africa”.

The French leader sought to play a role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine before and in the months after Putin ordered an invasion in February last year.

“I’ve no reasons to call him now,” Macron said during a radio interview on Friday when asked if he would ring Putin again, but he said he would take a call from his Russian counterpart “if he has got something to propose.”

Member comments

Anonymous - 25 June 2023 at 12:50 CEST

Hopefully, Macron will stay in politics when he has served his time as President of France. His logic, insight, dedication, cool courage and international visions are, globally, needed. The French might see in 10 or 15 years time, when his results are implemented, what a visionary and responsible president they had, but for now, his logic could be of good use in the messy, un-understandable situation in Ukraine.

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Macron warns 'mortal' Europe needs credible defence

He described Russia’s behaviour after its invasion of Ukraine as “uninhibited” and said it was no longer clear where Moscow’s “limits” lay.

Macron also sounded the alarm on what he described as disrespect of global trade rules by both Russia and China, calling on the European Union to revise its trade policy.

“Our Europe, today, is mortal and it can die,” he said.

“It can die and this depends only on our choices,” Macron said, warning that Europe was “not armed against the risks we face” in a world where the “rules of the game have changed”.

“Over the next decade… the risk is immense of (Europe) being weakened or even relegated,” he added, also pointing to the risk of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Macron returned to the same themes of a speech he gave in September 2017 months after taking office at the same location – the Sorbonne University in Paris – but in a context that seven years on has been turned upside down by Brexit, Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Macron champions the concept of European strategic autonomy in economy and defence, arguing that Europe needs to face crises like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without relying on the US.

He urged Europe to be more a master of its own destiny, saying in the past it was over-dependent on Russia for energy and Washington for security.

He said the indispensable “sine qua non” for European security was “that Russia does not win the war of aggression in Ukraine”.

“We need to build this strategic concept of a credible European defence for ourselves,” Macron said, adding Europe could not be “a vassal” of the United States.

He said he would ask European partners for proposals in the next months and added that Europe also needed its own capacity in cyberdefence and cybersecurity.

Macron said preference should be given to European suppliers in the purchase of military equipment and backed the idea of a European loan to finance this effort.

Macron also called for a “revision” of EU trade policy to defend European interests, accusing both China and the United States of no longer respecting the rules of global commerce.

“It cannot work if we are the only ones in the world to respect the rules of trade — as they were written up 15 years ago — if the Chinese and the Americans no longer respect them by subsidising critical sectors.”

Macron is, after Brexit and the departure from power of German chancellor Angela Merkel, often seen by commentators as Europe’s number one leader.

But his party is facing embarrassment in June’s European elections, ranking well behind the far-right in opinion polls and even risking coming third behind the Socialists.

The head of the governing party’s list for the elections, the little-known Valerie Hayer, is failing to make an impact, especially in the face of the high-profile 28-year-old Jordan Bardella leading the far right and Raphael Glucksmann emerging as a new star on the left.

Macron made no reference to the elections in his speech, even though analysts say he is clearly seeking to wade into the campaign, with his speech reading as a manifesto for the continent’s future.

“The risk is that Europe will experience a decline and we are already starting to see this despite all our efforts,” he warned.

“We are still too slow and not ambitious enough,” he added, urging a “powerful Europe”, which “is respected”, “ensures its security” and regains “its strategic autonomy”.

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