Denies that Macron and Putin plan to hold talks in the near future
MADRID, 5 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, has ruled out this Thursday that the shipment of tanks to Ukraine implicates Paris in the conflict with Russia, which began almost a year ago.
In an interview with the TF1 television channel, the minister said that this shipment, following the promise made by the president, Emmanuel Macron, does not make France an “accomplice”.
“Ukraine, according to the Charter of the United Nations, has the right to defend itself, and our duty is to help. Why? Because what is happening there does not only affect all Ukrainians, it has to do with stability in the whole European continent”, he asserted.
Thus, he has indicated that the decision does not violate France’s own red lines in foreign policy matters and has reiterated that “the objective is to guarantee stability in the world to create conditions under which to foster an atmosphere of peace”.
In this sense, he has not given details on the exact date of the shipment or the number of tanks that France will send, but has indicated that Ukrainian forces first need to receive training to learn how to use them. “It is also necessary to improve its air defense, something that Macron discussed yesterday with (Volodimir) Zelenski”, he has said. “We, as allies, are training them. It could take weeks or a few months,” he pointed out.
However, Colonna has claimed that France wants to “maintain contacts” with Moscow at various levels. “I have had the opportunity to speak with my counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of some international summits,” she explained. “Contacts are not always easy, but we hope to maintain them,” she stressed.
In this sense, he has ruled out that Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to hold a telephone conversation in the near future: “It is not scheduled.” However, he has stressed that “it is possible that they speak, they have already done so in the past.”
