In a message sent to the French armies, Emmanuel Macron called on the military to “vigilance” and “restraint” in the face of possible “interference” in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Emmanuel Macron told the French armies on Monday evening that he could “count” on their “great vigilance” and their “necessary restraint during possible interference” in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
“I know I can count on you to show, in the execution of your missions, great vigilance and the necessary restraint during possible interference”, wrote the French president in a rare “message to the armies” broadcast by the Elysee.
He referred to the Russian offensive in Ukraine launched on Thursday as “the most serious and uninhibited demonstration of power by the Russian regime since the end of the USSR” while recalling that the French forces “regularly” experienced “friction with Russian forces, regular or irregular” in the Atlantic, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa.
“We will face this crisis”
“Recently, the Russian head of state has chosen to give the crisis an unjustified dimension”, underlined the French president, after Vladimir Putin put his deterrent forces on alert and his ally, Belarus , organized a referendum on Sunday which eliminates the obligation for the former Soviet republic to remain a “nuclear-free zone”.
“In this context of strong tensions, France knows it can count once again on its armies”, insisted the president, who expressed to the French soldiers his “confidence” and his “recognition for (their) commitment”. “Together, we will face this crisis, maintain our permanent postures” and “pursue (…) our operational commitments”, he concluded.
This unusual message from Emmanuel Macron comes because the armies find themselves faced with “circumstances which place them daily” in contact with the Russian army according to the Élysée. This occurs in particular in “in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, in the Channel” where “long-range aircraft, surface ships and Russian submarines are once again frequenting our areas of interest”, explains the presidency.
Dialogue continues with Vladimir Putin
The Europeans and their allies are ready to take additional sanctions against Russia, the Elysée indicated on Monday evening, after a videoconference which brought together French, American, British, Canadian, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Romanian leaders, as well as than the EU and NATO.
Previously, Emmanuel Macron had exchanged for 1h30 with Vladimir Putin, asking him to stop the strikes against civilians and to secure the roads in Ukraine, points on which the Russian president “confirmed his willingness to engage”, according to the Elysee. But the head of state judged the Russian president “very determined and locked in a logic of confrontation”, added the French presidency.