2023-04-21 14:00:31
Restraint is in order at the Elysée, after the repeated controversies aroused by Emmanuel Macron over the war in Ukraine. Anxious to bounce back from the latest controversy over Taiwan and his comments on the “follow-up” with regard to the United States, made at the end of his visit to China, the Head of State and his entourage nevertheless seek to defend the idea of a “summit for peace”, likely to contribute to put an end to the conflict, fourteen months after the beginning of the Russian invasion. While keeping in mind that the hour is still in combat, and that nothing can be done, as we repeat in Paris, without the approval of the Ukrainians.
Nevertheless, the Head of State addressed the issue of this “summit for peace”, and ” steps “ to achieve this, during a long telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Saturday April 15. The exchange took place as kyiv focuses on preparing a major counter-offensive to try to retake the territories occupied by the Russian army. Westerners, including France, promise in this perspective to continue their military support.
“We can put forward any peace initiative, the main point at the base of everything is the withdrawal of Russian troops”Ukrainian authorities said in recent days, adding: “If this provision is included, then it can be looked at as a serious plan. “We cannot rush events and everything will be done at the pace of the Ukrainianswe are assured at the Elysée. Our desire is to ensure that the war ends as soon as possible, and when the Ukrainians are in a position of strength. »
“Strong support for Ukraine”
To this end, Emmanuel Macron seems to have lost all hope of directly convincing Vladimir Putin – the last phone call between the French president and the head of the Kremlin dates back to September 2022. But he is sounding out his foreign counterparts. The head of state thus spoke, Thursday, April 20, with Joe Biden, for the first time since his controversial visit to Beijing.
At the end of their conversation, the Elysée repeated that “China had a role to play in contributing, in the medium term, to an end to the conflict in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter. The two Heads of State agreed on the importance of continuing to engage the Chinese authorities on this basis”. For its part, the White House rather underlined, unlike the Elysée, that the French and American leaders “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”. And that they “reiterated their strong support for Ukraine in the face of the brutal Russian aggression”.
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