Questioning on all diplomatic subjects the future American administrationhe also has tackled the boss of X, the billionaire Elon Muskwho became an advisor to Donald Trump, accusing him of supporting “a new reactionary international” and interference in elections, particularly in Germany.
“The Ukrainians have to lead realistic discussions on territorial issues and only they can lead them”declared Macron in front of French ambassadors gathered at the Elyséewarning that there would be “no quick and easy solution”. Russia has in fact seizedabout 20% of Ukrainian territory and has accelerated its progress in the east in recent months.
Europeans will nevertheless have to “build security guarantees“ for Ukraine, said the head of state, stressing that Washington will have to help them to “change the nature of the situation and convince Russia to come to the negotiating table.”
Conjectures have been rife for weeks about the conditions for future peace negotiations, due to the return on January 20 to the White House of Donald Trump, who promised to quickly end the warwithout specifying how. kyiv hopes for strong decisions but also fears a drop in American support, the elected president having repeatedly criticized the billions of dollars provided to kyiv.
A “Ukraine’s capitulation cannot be good for Europeans and Americans”, insisted Emmanuel Macron, judging that the “credibility” Westerners would be “battered” if they agreed to “transact” due to a “fatigue” towards the conflict.
Iran, “main challenge”
In front of the ambassadors, the president, who set the road map for French foreign policy for 2025, also designated Iran as “the main strategic and security challenge for France, Europeans, the entire region and well beyond”.
“The acceleration of its nuclear program brings us very close to the breaking point”he added, before denouncing Tehran’s involvement “in Russia’s war against Ukraine” and his “support for dangerous groups” in the Middle East.
“Iran is a risk if we leave them (the Iranians) out of the picture” and will be a priority in the dialogue with the future Trump administration, he said, advocating an agreement “demanding” and expanded on Iranian nuclear power, which is still the subject of discussions between Tehran and the great powers.
-On Syria, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad who fled at the beginning of December after ruling his country with iron rule for 20 years, the French head of state called for “look without naivety at the change of regime” and promised not to abandon the Kurdish fighters, allies of the West in the fight against jihadism.
France will accompany “over time” the transition in favor of“a sovereign Syria, free and respectful of its ethnic, political and confessional plurality”he insisted.
The first steps of Ahmad al-Chareh, the leader of the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which led the coalition that seized Damascus, are being closely scrutinized. On Friday, he received the heads of French and German diplomacy, Jean-Noël Barrot and Annalena Baerbock, an unprecedented meeting at this level with Western officials.
Poland guest of honor
Mr. Barrot will for his part give a press conference late Monday with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, the guest of honor at this 30th edition of the ambassadors’ conference. Poland, which strongly supports neighboring Ukraine and serves as a logistical axis for Western military aid, took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1.
The conference of ambassadors, an essential meeting of French diplomacy which takes place each year at the end of August-beginning of September, could not take place in 2024 due to the Olympic Games in France, raising questions and adding to the unease affecting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 2022, a reform providing for the abolition of the two historic bodies of French diplomacy caused an internal outcry, with diplomats fearing a loss of skills from the third largest global network, behind those of the United States and China.
The 2025 draft budget, still not adopted due to the political crisis in France, provides for a drop of 4.3% for the State’s external action, to 3.3 billion euros. The share of development aid, also managed by the Quai d’Orsay, fell by 23%, to 2.4 billion.
