Ukraine: Macron slammed for making it ‘too easy for Putin

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Putin stunned the world this week after officially recognising rebel-held territories in eastern Ukraine — Donetsk and Luhansk — as independent states. Shortly after his announcement, he ordered troops to “maintain peace” in the regions, the US responding by announcing financial sanctions against the rebel territories and warning that more were ready if necessary. It came just a day after Mr Macron orchestrated a potential summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden.

It was believed that the leaders had agreed in principle to communicate with each other amid escalating tensions.

The Élysée Palace put out a statement on Sunday evening following last-minute diplomatic efforts by the French president to try to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine.

It said: “Presidents Biden and Putin have each accepted the principle of such a summit.

“Its content will be prepared by Secretary of State Blinken and Minister [Sergei] Lavrov during their meeting on Thursday 24 February. It can only be held if Russia does not invade Ukraine.”

But it is now unclear to what extent this agreement remains in light of the new developments.

While Mr Macron put the potential meeting together, many have criticised his response or lack thereof to the ongoing crisis on Europe’s doorstep.

Professor Julian Lindley-French, an internationally recognised strategic analyst and adviser in defence, who has worked with NATO, hit-out at the French leader, arguing that he had been too focused on his own political prospects with France’s upcoming election.

He noted that Western European powers including Britain, France and Germany were all “in a mess” over what to do about Putin’s actions.

But, focusing on France, he told Express.co.uk: “Macron is obsessed with his leadership campaign for reelection and is pumping forwards this EU idea of European strategic autonomy, which can only come as a functional power that France doesn’t have.”

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On Germany, he added: “It doesn’t want anything to do with armed conflict ‒ it had Nord Stream 2.

“It’s often selfish when it comes to these kinds of issues, its public are childish when it comes to these kinds of issues.”

Mr Macron will be hoping to hold on to his role at the helm of French politics when voters head to the ballots in the first round of presidential elections on April 10.

The runoff between the top two candidates will then be held two weeks later, on April 24.

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There are several candidates hoping to get their names past the first round: Valérie Pécresse of the right-wing Les Républicains party; Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally; Éric Zemmour of the far-right Reconquête and the hard-left veteran candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Only a handful have been given a chance of progressing to the second round: Mr Macron, Ms Le Pen and Ms Pécresse.

Next door to France, in Germany, critics of the government initially suspected that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would do everything in his power to sweep the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the carpet and away from reproving eyes.

The pipeline links Germany with Russia and would reinforce Europe’s existing reliance on Moscow for much of its natural gas — a figure which already stands at 40 percent.

But, on Tuesday, the country confirmed it had stopped the certification process for the pipeline in reaction to Russia recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as republics.

At a press conference in Berlin, Mr Scholz said: “This may sound technical, but it is the necessary administrative step, without which the pipeline cannot be certified.

“Without this certification, Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation”.

The pipe was finished last September but had yet to come into operation.

Mr Scholz added that he had commissioned a new assessment into Germany’s energy security in the light of geopolitical developments in eastern Ukraine.

He argued that Putin’s recognition of the Russian-backed territories was a “grave breach” of international law and broke with decades of agreements between Russia and the West.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, followed-up with the UK’s own reaction to Putin, slapping sanctions on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals.

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