“Build a bloc system”: why Macron spoke about providing security guarantees to Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the need to provide security guarantees to Russia.

He said this in an interview with TF1.

“On the day when peace reigns, discussions will be needed.

First of all, guarantees for Ukraine, its territorial integrity, its long-term security,” the French leader noted.

“But also for Russia as a party to the truce and a participant in the peace treaty.”

At the same time, Macron rejected criticism from European and Ukrainian politicians who do not agree with his point of view.

“Someone’s reproaches against me in connection with the fact that I am dealing with this issue make me understand what these people are proposing,” the French president said.

“Total war is what people offer who refuse to prepare (for the day of the conclusion of peace. -

) and work in this direction.”

He added that such a "total war" could engulf "the entire continent".

"Peace Factor"

Recall that Macron has made similar statements before.

In particular, in early December, he said that he wanted to provide "immediate guarantees of Russia's security on the day when she returns to the negotiating table."

According to the French president, "one of the main points that ... needs to be addressed" is Moscow's fears that NATO will be on the doorstep of the Russian Federation, as well as the concerns of the Russian leadership regarding the deployment of Western weapons "which could threaten Russia" .

• Negotiations between Russian and French Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron

• RIA News

• © Sergey Guneev

“This issue will be one of the factors of the world, so we need to work it out: what are we ready (for this. -

) to do, how we will protect our allies and member states, while giving Russia security guarantees when she returns to the table negotiations?

Macron said on December 3.

At the same time, this position of the French president caused a negative reaction in Kyiv.

In particular, Macron's proposals were sharply criticized by Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

“Instead of demanding a new Nuremberg, are you going to sign an agreement with Russia and shake hands with its representatives?”

he said.

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to Vladimir Zelensky, spoke in a similar way.

In the EU, Macron's words were also criticized by a number of countries.

In particular, the German Foreign Ministry said that the French president allegedly repeats the rhetoric of the Kremlin.

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), to which Chancellor Olaf Scholz belongs, was also skeptical about the proposals of the French president.

The foreign policy expert of the SPD faction in the Bundestag, Niels Schmid, said that Macron's words were "surprising."

According to Schmid, NATO allegedly never threatened Russia, and Moscow itself destroyed the pan-European security architecture.

He noted that now the EU needs to ensure European security in spite of Russia.

The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) also reacted negatively to the position of Paris.

According to CDU foreign policy expert Johan Wadeful, the French president's proposals are "highly problematic," TASS reports.

According to him, Macron is turning everything upside down, since Ukraine allegedly needs guarantees first.

He added that this issue needs to be urgently discussed in the EU and NATO.

Macron also got from Warsaw.

Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said that the words of the French president about security guarantees for Russia are very risky and could push Moscow to undesirable actions. 

Muller also expressed concern that after some time some Western European countries will try to return to their previous policy towards Russia.

According to him, this approach is wrong and there can be no return to the old course even if the Russian Federation leaves Ukraine.

It is worth noting that even before the start of the special operation to protect Donbass, Russia invited the United States and NATO to discuss the issue of security guarantees.

Last December, Moscow presented relevant draft agreements with the United States and the alliance.

• Negotiations between the Russian and American delegations on issues of security guarantees

• RIA News

• © Alexey Vitvitsky

These agreements listed measures that could alleviate Moscow's concerns about NATO's eastward expansion and a number of other issues.

The Russian Federation proposed to build relations with the United States and NATO, based on the principles of "indivisible and equal security, not harming each other's security."

At the beginning of the year, representatives of Moscow and Washington held a series of negotiations on these issues, but the parties did not reach a consensus, since the West actually rejected the proposals of the Russian Federation.

"Lower the New Iron Curtain"

The Russian Foreign Ministry also reacted to Macron's words.

The official representative of the diplomatic department, Maria Zakharova, noted that no concrete steps have yet been followed by the statements of Paris.

“I'm tired of commenting on words, I want to comment on actions,” she said at a briefing in Moscow.

“There are so many words that are said and they contradict each other so much that it makes no sense to dwell on them.”

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

• RIA News

• © Evgeny Odinokov

Zakharova added that the message of Macron's statements is "wonderful", but what is behind it in a practical plane is unknown.

According to Sergey Fedorov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Macron's statements may indicate the desire of Paris to act as an intermediary.

“Macron makes his statements continuing the traditional policy of France, which is that the country acts as an intermediary in solving complex international problems, including the crisis that is now taking place in Ukraine.

France has always been a member of the Western community, sharing its values ​​and goals, but nevertheless tried to have its own voice and a special position.

Such claims by France are backed up by its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the owner of nuclear weapons, ”the analyst said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, he noted the duality of Macron's position.

“On the one hand, Macron often says that we need to take into account the interests of Russia, that we cannot slam the door and stop contacts, despite all the contradictions that separate us.

On the other hand, he says that Russia must be defeated, ”Sergey Fedorov pointed out.

Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also drew attention to the ambiguity of the statements of official Paris.

Macron said a lot of things.

For example, he promised to do everything for the victory of Ukraine.

And the French finance minister announced an all-out economic war with Russia.

Therefore, these statements by Macron should not be taken seriously, nor should conclusions be drawn on their basis about the course of Western policy towards the Russian Federation.

Because next week he may make another statement, ”the analyst said in an interview with RT.

According to the political scientist, the position of Paris alone on the issue of security guarantees without the support of Washington and other key Western players has little weight and does not create conditions for negotiations.  

“We see only statements by France alone, which by no means forms the vector of Western policy.

In addition, Macron often changes his position, ”the analyst said.

According to Konstantin Blokhin, under the current policy of the West, building a common security architecture in Europe is basically impossible.

“The West is trying to build a bloc system.

By creating new dividing lines, he is trying to lower a new iron curtain and separate Russia from Europe.

Therefore, there is no need to talk about a general security system in such circumstances.

A common security system is possible when integration processes are underway, interdependence increases.

It is built on trust, respect and transparency.

Today there are not even prerequisites for this,” the analyst concluded.