Sarkozy: Ukraine must remain a bridge between East and West

Les Echos writes about the inflammatory interview and the book by the former French president “While the Ukrainian counter-offensive falters, pro-Kremlin narratives in the West flourish”.

We are talking about individuals who have retired from public life, but retain their visibility and influence on public opinion. And if anything, acting voluntarily or with a specific purpose, they create a certain atmosphere.

Sarkozy believes that Ukraine is a “link between West and East”, a “bridge” and therefore “should remain neutral”, because, after all, “both Ukrainians and Russians are Slavs.”

“These words can be heard in a popular cafe, or these surprisingly simplified statements seem to be taken from a textbook called “War in Ukraine for Dummies”geopolitics expert François Heisbourg angrily retorts in an interview with Les Echos.

“Indeed, Ukraine has historically been the gateway through which the West has influenced Moscow. But since when should geography forbid people to take care of their security and economic interests? Does the right of peoples to self-determination say something to the former president?” – asks the French researcher.

“No one can impose their choice on Ukraine! It is the Ukrainians themselves who decide to turn to the West and confront a country that has been threatening them and absorbing their territories for almost nine years, destroying cities and committing war crimes,” – adds an IISS employee.

What security measures can be considered reliable?

Nicolas Sarkozy also argues that a “compromise” with Vladimir Putin must be reached, accompanied by “an international agreement providing extremely strong security guarantees to protect Kyiv from any risk of new aggressive actions.”

“But this is exactly the system that existed before the invasion with the Budapest Memorandum, which suffered a catastrophic failure”insists François Heisbourg.

In conclusion, the former head of the French state proposes to hold a “an indisputable referendum to ratify the status quo.” However “not a single honest vote has ever been organized and held on the territory captured by the Russian army”– objects Aisbur. “It’s amazing when all this is said by a leader who, shortly after the invasion of Georgia in 2008, sold aircraft carriers and Mistral helicopters to Moscow, – the analyst inexorably adds.

Russian influence

But others in France and the rest of Europe have also criticized the former French president. Among them is Jérôme Poirot, former deputy intelligence coordinator at the Maison des Irises during Sarkozy’s presidency. He criticizesshameful remarks“a person who “still does not realize what he did in 2008 in the Georgia case and seems to have no idea what is happening for eighteen months in Ukraine.”

“I wonder if the West has realized (or wants to admit) what France has done under the Sarkozy presidency in Libya?”– one could add to the remarks of Jerome Poirot.

regret about “penetration and influence of Vladimir Putin’s views on part of the European political class” expressed Nathalie Loiseau, MEP from the “Renaissance” of the current President Emmanuel Macron. Finally, Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who served as Prime Minister of Belgium when Sarkozy was president in France, wondered if “laugh or cry at the former president’s statements.”

Trends

Nevertheless, such a statement on the part of the former, but still the President of France, is not an accident, but a clear trend. Showing that Europe is tired of the war, and a sharp decline in the standard of living of the population of the European Union can hurt politicians in the upcoming elections. And even the propaganda generously pouring out of each “iron” does not help explain to the population the reasons why they began to live worse.

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