In a television interview, Macron stressed that the threat posed by Russia would endure well past the end of the Ukraine war.
French President Emmanuel Macron compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to a monster akin to Shrek, ready to plunge his neighbors and Europe into conflict to achieve his aims.
The statements come after days of intense negotiations among the combatants, the United States, and Europe’s strongest countries.
Ogre at the Gates
“An ogre at our gates” is how Macron described the Russian leader in an interview with the French news station LCI.
Macron’s comments emphasized that the long-term threat to European security posed by Putin’s Russia would remain even after the war in Ukraine concludes. Macron described Putin “a predator [that] needs to keep eating [to ensure] his own survival.”
“He has constantly been a force for destabilization. He has sought to redraw borders to increase his power,” Macron said.
Alongside the United Kingdom, another staunch ally of Ukraine, France is one of the most powerful military forces in NATO. Macron’s statements therefore carry some weight.
The French leader also stressed that Putin had rarely honored past diplomatic commitments he has made, both publicly and privately. He hinted at a deeper issue within the Russian political system, noting that even after the war, it would take years before Russia returned to “peace and a democratic system.”
European Aid for Ukraine to Continue Past War
Speaking about the prospect of security guarantees from the United States and NATO as a condition for a peace settlement between the two combatants, Macron said, “There is all the work that needs to be done beforehand on security guarantees. The next 15 days are absolutely critical for us to finalize the work with the Americans and give these security guarantees substance.”
The United States and most of Europe would prefer to avoid a physical entanglement in the conflict. Thus far, NATO’s member states have provided tens of billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine. They have also trained Ukrainian troops on how to wage modern warfare.
However, putting boots on the ground as part of a security guarantee is a wholly different matter—and something that many NATO nations have expressed deep reticence about.
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing another sanctions package against Russia. According to the Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, the next package will target Russia’s war economy and will roll out next month.
High-level meetings with respect to the future of Ukraine continue. NATO’s military leaders will meet on Wednesday to discuss the war and how to proceed.
After more than three years of conflict in Ukraine, the situation has remained frustratingly stable. Although both Ukraine and Russia have made gains and landed significant hits against one another, there is an enduring deadlock. Ukraine currently lacks the necessary offensive capability to push back the Russian forces and liberate the approximately 20 percent of its territory under occupation. However, Russia also lacks the offensive punch to achieve its objectives in an expeditious manner. The war has instead become a slog of attrition, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of troops killed and wounded per year on each side.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Frederic Legrand – COMEO.
