How Russia targeted France and radicalised Emmanuel Macron
He is now one of Europe’s leading Russia hawks
ON JANUARY 16th the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced that he would send another 40 long-range Scalp cruise missiles to Ukraine. Later that day Russia bombed Kharkiv, in north-eastern Ukraine, claiming French mercenaries were based there and supplying a list of names that the French army says is fake. Shortly afterwards the French uncovered 193 websites set up to undermine public support for Ukraine in France (as well as in Germany and Poland), run by a Russian firm based in Crimea. Days later Sébastien Lecornu, the French defence minister, said Russian air-traffic controllers had threatened that a French aircraft patrolling over the Black Sea would be shot down.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Le nouveau faucon”
Europe April 20th 2024
- Germany is flunking the education test
- Ukraine is digging in as the Kremlin steps up its offensive
- How a conservative conference morphed into a crisis of liberalism
- The German chancellor’s awkward meeting with China’s boss
- How Russia targeted France and radicalised Emmanuel Macron
- Ukraine is ignoring US warnings to end drone operations inside Russia
From the April 20th 2024 edition
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