War in Ukraine: why Emmanuel Macron is invited this Thursday evening to the 20 Hours of TF1 and France 2

Volodymyr Zelensky et Emmanuel Macron, le 16 février, à Paris MAXPPP – THIBAULT CAMUS/POOL

Conforté par le vote du Parlement sur son accord de sécurité avec l'Ukraine, mais cible de nombreuses critiques, le chef de l’État va s’expliquer.

"The desire is not to scare but to qualify the moment"… Faced with criticism which is beginning to emerge, accusing the government of dramatizing the Ukrainian crisis for electoral purposes, the Élysée is trying to clear the air.

If the President invited himself this evening to the 8 p.m. news this has nothing to do with the European campaign which is beginning but rather because the international situation there rsquo;requires, explains in substance the Château.

A wave of emotion

Since the Paris conference, which was held on February 26, Emmanuel Macron's tone towards Russia has changed. That day, he assured that sending ground troops was no longer excluded, causing a wave of emotion among his European partners.

This conference nevertheless marked several points of agreement between the participants, assure the President's advisors, notably the toughening of Vladimir Putin and the urgency to help Ukraine.

For Emmanuel Macron, this change in positioning is the result of a long journey. At the start of the war, he assured on the contrary that we should not turn our backs on Russia in order to prepare for peace.

But, according to those close to him, the Head of State went "to the end" the search for a diplomatic route with the tenant of the Kremlin.

"Zoological Troll" 

For a long time, he continued to communicate with his Russian counterpart by telephone but dialogue quickly proved impossible. Since then, relations have further deteriorated with the death of Alexeï Navalny, the increase in cyberattacks and the words of former President Dmitri Medvedev on X who launched on Monday: &quot ;Macron is preparing to go to Kiev ?But he’s a zoological coward! Anyway: I recommend to his office to take several pairs of boxer shorts! It will smell very strong"…

A growing doubt among the French With the support of the majority of the Assembly and the Senate who approved, Tuesday and Wednesday, during a vote, their support for the bilateral security agreement signed with Ukraine, on February 16, Emmanuel Macron will, this evening, re-explain this change in doctrine and try to convince the French that the European elections on June 9 have nothing to do with it.< /p>

An instrumentalization of the conflict ?

But if Emmanuel Macron assures that he is doing what he must and acting as a head of state and not as a campaigning President, on Matignon's side, we are observing the situation with more caution.

It has not escaped the attention of those around the Prime Minister that certain recent polls reveal growing doubt among the French.

More and more of them suspect the executive of using the war to gain a few points in the polls. And the first campaign meeting of the majority, which took place on Saturday in Lille, should not have convinced them otherwise.

Who could believe that our Europe would recover from having let Ukraine be wiped out on its doorstep ?

The various speakers all made the link between the danger posed by the persistence of the conflict in Ukraine and the rise of the National Rally.

"Who could believe that our Europe would recover from having let Ukraine be destroyed at its gates ? Yesterday, Daladier and Chamberlain , today Le Pen and Orban", even launched the head of the list Valérie Hayer in a risky parallel.

For Matignon, the war is an argument to be handled with a grain of salt but the head of state, who will be visiting Berlin at the end of the week, has made it a major issue.

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