Macron's foreign policy in EU draws mixed reactions amid Ukraine crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron is aiming to position himself as the European Union's leader in foreign policy. However, this ambition has received mixed reactions from other member states, according to Bloomberg.

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Bloomberg reports that under Macron's leadership, France has taken a bolder approach to its foreign policy, especially noticeable when he publicly dismissed the idea of deploying Western military forces to Ukraine.

Macron's suggestion to potentially deploy troops in Ukraine has not been well received by some of his allies. This proposal prompted quick and critical responses from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and led to unease among American officials. They worried that such a move could risk escalating tensions with Moscow, Bloomberg reveals, citing an anonymous high-ranking official familiar with the discussions.

Macron justified his comments on military deployment as a tactic to create uncertainty for Vladimir Putin. Yet, insiders familiar with NATO's discussions on Ukraine feel it may have had the unintended effect of weakening strategic ambiguity, forcing Berlin to explicitly rule out troop deployment, as observed by a senior American official.

A crucial point highlighted by Bloomberg is that Macron's comments overlooked operational security considerations. Despite his public stance, various countries have discreetly sent military personnel to Ukraine, as per unnamed sources.

While Macron's firmer stance against Russia is welcomed by some EU prime ministers, Bloomberg notes skepticism about his effectiveness, branding him as more talkative than actionable.

The article recalls Macron's endorsement of a Czech initiative to procure 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine from outside Europe. Yet, despite his support, France has not contributed financially, in contrast with Germany's 300 million euro purchase of 180,000 shells.

Comparing the total aid provided to Ukraine by France and Germany, Bloomberg, citing the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, points out that France's contribution stands at nearly 2 billion euros, significantly less than Germany's 22 billion euros commitment.

Bloomberg suggests that Macron is seeking to fill the leadership vacuum left by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's exit from politics. Nevertheless, Rym Momtaz from the International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that Macron missed a critical opportunity to assert his leadership at the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a misstep he now seeks to amend.