Beware without panicking. Emmanuel Macron gave an interview to BFMTV, this Thursday, on the plane that brought him back from New York, where he had gone on the occasion of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The opportunity for the Head of State to return to the speech given by Vladimir Putin the day before, in which he notably announced the partial mobilization in Russia while brandishing – as he has done regularly since the invasion of Ukraine – the nuclear threat.
“Obviously, this is blackmail. And obviously he has those weapons and the risk is still there. But it is also a means of pressure”, estimated Emmanuel Macron, for whom Russia has “decided to take a step in the escalation”.
VIDEO. War in Ukraine: Putin mobilizes his reserve and says he is ready to use “all means”
In the eyes of the President, Vladimir Putin’s recent statements are a sign of the difficulties facing Moscow. “There is a counter-offensive from the south and the north which has destabilized the Russian front, this is the first element. Obviously, the Russian economic situation is more complex than has been said (…). And third thing, Russia is isolating itself diplomatically,” he deciphered at the microphone of BFMTV.
“It will only end around a table”
Still on the Ukrainian subject, Emmanuel Macron made a point of recalling France’s point of view. “Our duty is to hold our line, that is to say to help Ukraine as we do, to protect its territory, never to be able to attack Russia. We are not at war with Russia,” he insisted. “I will not make any interpretation or have any comments that would be part of an escalation,” added the head of state.
For him, it is only by putting oneself “in a position to restore dialogue” that the conflict will end. “We are not deadlocked. (…) It will only end around a table”, he predicted, while explaining that peace should go through the return of the “February lines”, with the borders in force before the start of the war.
The President of the Republic also spoke on national issues, in particular pension reform. “The government must launch a discussion with the social forces (trade unions and employers), with the political forces, and find, with Parliament, the right maneuver”, explained Emmanuel Macron judging that, on the question of pensions, “we do not we cannot not change”.
On another subject, he asked the French not to sign electricity contracts “at crazy prices” that some suppliers are trying to renegotiate.