By Denis Korkodinov
France and Russia demonstrate rapprochement of positions on a whole range of geopolitical issues. The President of the Fifth Republic, Emanuel Macron, apparently through the Kremlin intends to create a new system of world order, free from American pressure. Moscow seeks to hold a similar view.
Not limited to the proposal to lift EU sanctions against Russia, Emanuel Mancron, under the influence of his adviser Jean-Pierre Schevenement, actually recognized the Russian jurisdiction over the Crimea, saying that this was a commonplace act of military dominance. This clearly pro-Russian position of the French leader is due, first of all, to his understanding of the special role of Moscow in the process of influence on world politics. In a situation where Russia is actively positioning itself in one way or another in the Middle East and North Africa, in the oil regions on which the energy security of all Europe depends, Paris is ready to limit its own ambitions and make a deal with Moscow, even if the United States opposes this.
The Fifth Republic is not able to ignore the fact that as a result of a radical restructuring of the entire geopolitical system, Europe’s vulnerability turned out to be a real problem. If this problem is ignored, France and not only it risk losing their own national and state identity. In addition, the extremely unpredictable policies of the White House administration increase the risk of a global crisis. Emanuel Macron, in this regard, intends to act as the “savior of Europe”, trying to balance the interests of the United States and Russia so that in the process of their opposition to prevent discrimination of European interests.
At the same time, the head of the Champs Elysees proceeds from the need for long-term cooperation with Moscow, on whose favors energy routes from the Middle East to Europe depend. A huge help in this is the fact that France leads the G7 format and the Council of Europe. This circumstance allows Paris to speak on behalf of all European leaders and make responsible decisions that affect the entire architecture of modern geopolitics.
In addition, Emanuel Macron skillfully took advantage of the situation of creating a vacuum of regional power in Europe. The new cabinet of ministers in Italy, Brexit in the UK, the domestic political crisis in Germany, the likelihood of an escalation of the conflict in Kosovo against the backdrop of the upcoming elections have revealed a number of problems that Europe has suffered recently – the lack of a leader who can guarantee them protection and prosperity. Meanwhile, there is a certain disappointment in the United States, which has repeatedly neglected European interests and put France, including on the brink of an energy crisis due to the US-Iranian confrontation.
By virtue of this, Russia turned out to be practically the only country that could claim the role of “European gendarme.” Moreover, the authority of Moscow in the Middle East and in Server Africa is a guarantee for Paris that Russia can reach an agreement with anyone in order to protect its European partners.
However, the pro-Russian orientation of Emanuel Macron has a negative side. In particular, through rapprochement with Moscow, Paris intends to cast doubt on Russian-Chinese cooperation. The problem is that Europe sees Beijing as a source of heightened threat. Therefore, the union of Beijing and Moscow causes concern in a number of European countries.
Meanwhile, France took on the role of opposing China, possibly quarreling it with Russia. This anti-Chinese policy of Paris has not yet led to any results, but most likely in the near future we will be able to witness extremely tense relations between Moscow and Beijing through the fault of Paris.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights)