Since the Kremlin spokesperson’s threats to attack any Western soldier, even French, who is on Ukrainian soil, the tension between France and Russia has risen a notch. To the point that some fear an escalation which would drag France into the field of war. An opinion far from being shared by the French military for whom the French position precisely reduces the risk of conflagration.
If France has been holding its breath since Emmanuel Macron’s surprise decision to dissolve the National Assembly, the world continues to turn. Some will say that it is not going well, of course, that does not prevent it. The great forces at work continue their movement every day. And particularly in Ukraine, where the war continues to rage since February 24, 2022, the day the “special military operation” ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin was launched. It was only supposed to last a few days. The Moscow general staff planned to quickly bring down kyiv, the capital, leading to the capture or death of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, who would thus have left his place to a pro-Russian figure, more receptive to the Kremlin’s expectations. We know the rest.
The short-lived conflict turned into a long, high-intensity war, with Russia bringing much of its military power to bear against the Ukrainian resistance, supported by Western logistical support. Weapons, equipment and training for now. But no ground troops. International observers nevertheless experienced a first apnea on June 4, when Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, made a threatening gesture. “ No instructor involved in training Ukrainian military personnel has immunity. It doesn’t matter whether they are French or not”, said Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson.
