Macron calls to avoid double standards regarding wars in Ukraine and Israel
President of France Emmanuel Macron (photo: Getty Images)
The international community must avoid double standards in global conflicts, particularly concerning the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, states French President Emmanuel Macron.
Opening the summit of leaders from Francophone countries, the head of state emphasized that this group of nations can collectively make a significant contribution to supporting global peace. He believes this can be achieved even despite France's waning global influence, particularly in Africa.
Macron is convinced that the Francophone world is the place where we can engage in joint diplomacy that protects sovereignty and territorial integrity across the globe.
"It is a place that is speaking the same language on Ukraine, which is being attacked today, threatened in its borders and in its territorial integrity by the Russian war of aggression. But it also defends a vision where there is no room for double standards, where all lives are equal for all conflicts throughout the world," he stated.
The publication notes that Macron had previously expressed concern over Israel's campaign in Lebanon against the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, highlighting the shocking number of civilian casualties.
In his address at the summit, he noted that Lebanon, as a former French colony, today stands shaken in its sovereignty and peace due to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
"There can be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution," the French leader remarked.
Summit of French-speaking countries
On Friday, October 4, the Francophonie summit began in the town of Villers-Cotterêts, northeast of Paris.
This meeting is taking place for the first time in 33 years. It features dozens of leaders, ranging from Félix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Additionally, French influence in Africa has been undermined by coups in Mali in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger in 2023, which saw pro-Paris governments replaced by juntas aligned with Russia.
Diplomatic efforts of France
At the end of September, Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with US President Joe Biden. The leaders discussed options for a ceasefire between the Israeli army and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Macron specifically stated that there should be no war in Lebanon.
France and Canada have agreed to jointly assist Kyiv in resisting Russian aggression in cyberspace.
Earlier, Macron remarked that after the war in Ukraine concludes, Europe will need to change the nature of its relations with Russia.
