Just at a moment when the West wants to show its unity towards Russia, Berlin and Paris are fighting over the leadership role in Europe. The rift is profound.
Some performances make history, no matter how improvised they may seem. It was almost midnight, much later than expected, when Emmanuel Macron appeared before the press in the winter garden of the Élysée to report on how the West, which he had gathered for an evening, discussed Ukraine and its needs in the defensive war against Ukraine Russia. And there was nothing to suggest that the media conference would be remembered for quite a while. The only intention was to demonstrate unity and determination, to send a signal to Vladimir Putin so that he wouldn’t feel too confident of victory.