French Parliament to weigh in on Ukraine strategy

French President Emmanuel Macron’s Ukraine strategy faces a symbolic vote in the lower house amid escalating tensions before June’s European Parliament elections

The National Assembly lower house will hold a non-binding vote on the government’s Ukraine strategy, including a bilateral security agreement signed by Macron and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky last month following a debate.

While the vote will be symbolic, it will give political parties an opportunity to publicly express their positions on Macron’s strategy on the conflict as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year.

After a meeting between the president and party leaders last week, some expressed concern about Macron’s stance on Ukraine.

With the support of the conservative Republican party (LR), the vote’s outcome could support Macron’s strategy. 

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will kick off the debate at around 4:30 p.m. (15:30 GMT), and the vote is expected at around 8:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, the far-right National Rally (RN), which leads Macron’s alliance by a wide margin ahead of the June elections, will abstain, its 28-year-old leader Jordan Bardella said.

Speaking to broadcaster France 2, he cited “red lines,” including the dispatch of Western ground troops, which Macron has refused to rule out, and the possibility of Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the European Union.

“We need to be very careful,” said Bardella. I say yes to support for Ukraine, but no to war with Russia.”

In France’s polarized political landscape, Russia’s war against Ukraine has emerged as a significant hot-button topic.

Macron has been seeking to hammer home the importance of more significant support for Ukraine, which is running out of ammunition, insisting that Europe’s security is at stake.

Macron’s allies at the weekend criticized the far-right National Rally at the launch of their European election campaign, accusing them of betraying the interests of France and Europe and flirting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Senate upper house was set to hold similar debates on Wednesday.

Speaking to French broadcaster BFM TV on Monday, Zelensky said that there was no need for French ground troops in his war-torn country as long as “Ukraine holds.”

“Your children are not going to die in Ukraine,” he said.

Source: AFP

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