Comment on Macron’s initiative: A pure diversionary tactic

Until now, NATO supported Ukraine with weapons, not soldiers. French President Macron has now ignored this consensus – in order to hide his own weakness. A scandal.

France’s president has a problem. His country ranks very low in the list of Ukraine supporters. Paris has delivered few weapons and has also cut back on financial aid.

But ranking at the back – in the second row behind countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and unfortunately Germany – that doesn’t fit the image that Emmanuel Macron likes to present to the world public and of course not to his own compatriots either.

Macron still believes France is a great power. Like few others, he has mastered the art of looking up to himself. Up to the president, who reigns supreme above all the petty bickering over military branches. The Germans are tormenting themselves with this.

Instead, Macron prefers to give big speeches and simply speculate out loud to the public that, in addition to weapons, people could also be thrown into the battle against Putin. If you want – Macron has made this reservation and said that there is currently no consensus in the West for his initiative.

One thing is clear to the partners: no ground troops

And that is the real scandal: This statement – that there is still no consensus in the West for sending ground troops – is a gross understatement. Until yesterday, until Macron went it alone, there was the opposite consensus: Ukraine will be supported with weapons and, yes, for as long as necessary. But not with ground troops. The danger of becoming a party to war would be too great.

The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, repeated this like a prayer wheel. With the clear message: The West is not entering war with Russia.

For Macron, none of this seems to be that important. Without any consultation with the Allies, he ignores the current NATO strategy. Not in the back room, where such reflections on the course of the war would be better served, but right on the big stage in the Elysée Palace, in front of the cameras.

France is now only a weakened middle power

You can see the intention: Macron wants to distract attention from the weakness of his Ukraine policy, because it doesn’t look like great power policy. French arms supplies to Ukraine represent a small fraction of what Germany delivered.

And because Macron’s national debt has reached almost a dizzying 100 percent of economic output, Paris cannot even guarantee for the current year that the promised three billion will actually be transferred to Kiev.

So the balance sheet is poor for a president who likes to see himself as a leader who likes to speak on an equal level – with US President Joe Biden and (formerly) also with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron must now realize that he is only in charge of a weakened middle power, a France that would rather join in the solidarity of its NATO allies. This could become important again.