Defending the prospect of Ukrainian membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as a means of influencing the conflict and bringing Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table, is the approach now favored by France in the delicate discussions between Ukraine's allies in the run-up to the annual NATO summit, scheduled for the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on July 11 and 12,
Le Monde reports.
According to Le Monde's information, a Defense Council meeting at the Elysée Palace on Monday, June 12, explored the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU, an option now considered by Paris to be a security guarantee in its own right, since it could discourage Russia from continuing the war or, should the conflict come to an end, prevent any further aggression. This prospect could, in fact, convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter into negotiations when he deems the time is right, depending on the results of the counter-offensive.
Tactical though it may be, this overture represents a real shift for France. Paris is moving closer to the positions defended by the countries of Central Europe, most of which (first and foremost Poland and the Baltic States) are relentless advocates of Ukraine's accession to NATO. "The French position is now closer to that of Poland than Germany," a foreign diplomat confirmed.
At the Bucharest summit in 2008, then French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel blocked any prospect of Ukraine's rapid accession to NATO, against the advice of the United States, which at the time advocated its integration. In the minds of the two European leaders, this was a way of appeasing Russia.
