Russian state media Sputnik published a claim on its Serbian-language website that “France is in favor of dialogue”, while other EU leaders are “in favor of sanctions” against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. This is disinformation.
An article published on the website Sputnik on February 24, 2022, was equipped with the following headline:
France deviates from EU stance: Keyword – dialogue /video/
The article states that, while Great Britain or Germany favor sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, “French President Emmanuel Macron is in favor of dialogue”.
The views of French politicians differ from the views of other EU leaders regarding the special operation of the Russian army in Donbas. While Britain and Germany are in favor of sanctions, French President Emmanuel Macron is in favor of dialogue. His opponent in the upcoming elections, right-winger Éric Zemmour, shares the same opinion.
(…)
Other Western countries are advocating to provide even greater military assistance to Ukraine or for sanctions against Russia. Macron was the only one to talk about cooperation and an agreement.
What are the facts?
Although French President Emmanuel Macron has indeed advocated a dialogue with Russia in recent months regarding the Ukrainian crisis, after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Macron announced harsh sanctions.
According to an article published on the website Politico only a few hours before the article on Sputnik appeared, Macron said that France would respond “unwavering” to Russia’s “act of war”.
In a pre-recorded speech he delivered while standing in front of the Ukrainian, European and French flags, Macron said that “the sanctions imposed on Russia will be commensurate with the aggression it is committing, in the military and economic fields, and when it comes to energy, we will be unwavering”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “has decided to carry out the heaviest attack on peace and stability in our Europe in decades”, Macron said.
A day later, on February 25, 2022, Macron said that, along with condemnation and sanctions, it could be useful to leave the possibility of dialogue with Putin. An article in The Strait Times also states that Macron called Putin and demanded that he “immediately suspend Russian military operations”, emphasizing that Russia is facing massive sanctions.
Macron called for sanctions against Russia even before Russia invaded Ukraine. According to an article published on the EuroNews website on February 21, 2022, after Russia recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, the French president condemned the decision and called for “targeted European sanctions”.
So, as for the Russian invasion of Ukraine or, as Sputnik states, “Russian army operations in Donbas”, Macron advocates the same approach as the rest of the European Union – sanctions against Russia.
Given the facts, the claim that the French president favors dialogue while other EU leaders favor sanctions is rated as fake news.
(Authors: Nerma Šehović and Denis Čarkadžić, Raskrinkavanje.ba)
