Macron's France: Symbol of empty promises Ukraine left in the lurch

This situation highlights the ongoing issues in French commitments. France will not fulfil its pledge to provide up to €3 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year and is instead on track to allocate only "more than €2 billion." This statement was made on October 14 by Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu to lawmakers, as reported by Politico.

"Politically it was decided at the beginning of 2024 that this aid could reach €3 billion. In reality, we will be above €2 billion but not at €3 billion,” Lecornu said.

It’s important to note that President Emmanuel Macron had promised to send a maximum of €3 billion at the start of this year, part of an effort to boost French support for Ukraine after Paris faced criticism for falling short compared to other countries, such as Germany.

In other words, the statements from official Paris, particularly those made by President Emmanuel Macron regarding the readiness to increase aid to Ukraine, were largely forced. Indeed, Macron's France is plagued by imperial ambitions, yet its actual capabilities, as has been repeatedly demonstrated, do not align with these aspirations.

It is worth recalling that after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paris adopted a wait-and-see approach and even suggested considering Russia's position. Only later, when it became clear that a swift takeover of Ukraine was not feasible, did Macron attempt to portray himself as a key "hawk" on the European political stage.

In the end, he resembles more of a Gallic rooster — a symbol of France — than a decisive leader. His promises have often turned out to be empty rhetoric. Notably, his repeated claims of planning to visit Kyiv have remained just words.

And now, as we can see, Macron's assurances regarding the levels of aid to Ukraine have also evaporated. It is worth noting that the economic crisis in France, which is the reason Paris will fail to deliver on its promises, is also a consequence of Macron's policies.

The budget adjustment passed on October 10 — which includes a €19.4 billion tax increase and €41.3 billion in spending cuts — clearly indicates that under Macron's leadership, France's financial management system has spiralled out of control.

Consider that France's budget deficit in 2023 reached 6.1% of its gross domestic product, significantly higher than the 2.6% recorded in 2017 when Macron took office. This deficit continues to grow. It’s no surprise that Macron’s approval ratings are plummeting as he is increasingly viewed as a political poseur and a failure.

What became clear in Azerbaijan was recognized much earlier than in Ukraine. During the 44-day war, we witnessed how boastful and empty Monsieur Emmanuel's claims could be. “I tell Armenia and Armenians — France will play its role,” he promised the Armenian side at that time. But what was the reality? What role did France actually play during the 44-day war? It was, quite frankly, pathetic. The French president made false statements and engaged in ludicrous attempts at blackmail against Azerbaijan. These antics revealed his willingness to side with the occupying state and support separatism when it came to Azerbaijan.

So, what was the outcome? Ultimately, we witnessed a historic military and political triumph for Azerbaijan — and certainly not the last. Encouraged by Macron, the Armenian leadership continued to provide political, financial, and military support to the Karabakh junta, even after Nikol Pashinyan signed the Trilateral Statement on the cessation of hostilities on November 10, 2020. This ultimately compelled our leadership to carry out an anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. As a result, in less than a day, illegal Armenian armed formations were dismantled. The Azerbaijani flag was raised in Khankendi, and Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

And what about Macron's France? It once again failed to prevent the actions of official Baku. Remarkably, even after such a significant defeat, Paris did not abandon its attempts at a comeback. Yes, we see that France is actively supplying Armenia with weapons and funds, providing political support to the official Yerevan. All of this is aimed at creating conditions for a new war in the region.

It will be interesting to observe whether military and financial assistance to Armenia will decrease now that Paris has failed to deliver on its promises to Ukraine.

We recall how confidently Sebastien Lecornu tossed around promises to Armenia. It must be uncomfortable for him to retract his own words. But such is life, as the French often say in these situations. It demonstrates that Macron's France is not a reliable partner. In Paris, abandoning one's commitments is easy and straightforward, often accompanied by pitiful justifications that do little to comfort those who believed the blatant populists.

This has already happened with Ukraine, and the same fate awaits Armenia. The destiny of the South Caucasus will be determined by the countries in the region. Azerbaijan holds the strongest position here, something that Yerevan sometimes forgets. The “wake-up call” for the Armenian side is often a painful experience. It's time for them to learn and avoid reaching the point where another harsh reality check becomes necessary.