French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called on European countries to support Ukraine “in the long term” and compensate for any potential cuts in US aid, months before an unpredictable US presidential election.
“We must organize ourselves in such a way that if the United States makes a sovereign choice to stop or reduce this assistance, it will not have any impact on the situation on the ground,” Macron defended, referring to the country’s defense capabilities that were put in place in action. place for almost two years of fighting the Russian advance.
The French head of state made the appeal to European countries at a press conference in Stockholm with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the context of the two countries concluding a “renewed strategic partnership” with defense at its core. cooperation when Sweden is about to join NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Western Defense Bloc).
Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Hungary has become the latest European Union (EU) country to block the €50 billion in European aid to Ukraine over four years that will be the focus of Thursday’s European summit in Brussels.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed the situation for Sweden: Stockholm, which had long remained militarily neutral, decided to join the Atlantic Alliance.
Hungary also remains the last obstacle on the way to this accession, a topic that Ulf Kristersson intends to discuss with his Hungarian counterpart on Thursday on the sidelines of the European Council.
“France and Sweden share the desire to become closer, to produce together, to help Ukraine together, so that we have a Europe that better defends itself,” Macron said.
The President of the French Republic, who will travel to Ukraine in February, will address defense issues in a speech he will give on Tuesday afternoon to young Swedish officers from the Karlberg Military Academy.
Sweden “is a country that has the same vision of sovereignty as France,” with a “desire to develop capabilities across a very broad spectrum, both operational and industrial,” the Macron adviser said, highlighting the shared view of the need to join Sweden. in the “war economy”.
In a clear change in attitude, Swedish authorities shocked public opinion in January when Swedish Army Chief of Staff Mikael Büden said Swedes “must prepare mentally for war.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Sweden announced that it intended to achieve 2% of GDP (gross domestic product) devoted to defense spending “as quickly as possible.”
The country has a strong defense industry, and what France and Sweden have in common is that they have developed their own combat aircraft, the Rafael on the French side and the Gripen on the Swedish side.
Paris and Stockholm will sign a declaration of intent on air defense and air surveillance systems, while Saab and MBDA are expected to conclude a contract for the development of the Akeron anti-tank missile “in the coming days,” the report indicated. Presidency of France.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, arguing it was protecting pro-Russian separatist minorities in the east and “denazifying” the neighboring country, independent since 1991 after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and breaking away from it. The space of Moscow’s influence and become closer to Europe and the West.
The war in Ukraine has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides, but recent months have seen little progress in the theater of operations, with the two warring sides remaining steadfast in their territorial positions and not open to negotiating concessions.
Recent weeks have been marked by large-scale Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv’s forces have struck targets in Russian territory near the border and on the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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