On Aug. 16, on the occasion of the publication of Nicolas Sarkozy’s new book Le Temps des Combats (The Time of Battles), Le Figaro Magazine published a long interview with the former French President in which he, plainly speaking as a voice of a more realistic faction of the French foreign policy establishment increasingly furious at Macron, summarizes again his views on Russia.
Sarkozy first honored the just deceased, extremely respected Russia expert Hélène Carère d’Encausse. Then Sarkozy said: “The Russians are Slavs, they are different from us. Discussion is always difficult, and has given rise to many misunderstandings in our shared history. Despite this, we need them and they need us. I have had profound disagreements with Vladimir Putin, and I took my responsibilities in 2008, when I was president of the European Council. I convinced him to withdraw his tanks, which were 25 km from Tbilisi. He had started to invade Georgia. But at the same time, Angela Merkel and I showed him that we were aware of his ‘red lines.’ That’s why we refused to allow Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO, despite strong American pressure. We didn’t want to let Putin drift into the anti-Western paranoia that has long been the temptation of Russian leaders. The Kremlin’s encirclement complex is an old story. Putin was wrong. What he has done is serious and has resulted in failure. But once you’ve said that, you have to move on and find a way out. Russia is and will remain Europe’s neighbor.”
Sarkozy, clearly anticipating that the truth of the Western defeat will become known very soon, said: “We can’t stick to the strange idea of ‘making war without making war.’ We’ll have to clarify our strategy, especially if this war is to last. Diplomacy, discussion and exchange remain the only means of finding an acceptable solution. Without compromise, nothing will be possible, and we run the risk of things degenerating at any moment. This powder keg could have fearsome consequences.”
Le Figaro: “The Allies say they will support Ukraine ‘all the way.’ Are they right?”
Sarkozy: “The words are strong and definitive. … Does it mean taking back the Donbass? Take back Crimea too? Or go all the way to Moscow? The annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a clear violation of international law. But when it comes to this territory, which was Russian until 1954 and where a majority of the population has always felt Russian, I think that any return to the past is illusory; even if I believe that an indisputable referendum, i.e., organized under the strict control of the international community, will be necessary to ratify the current state of affairs.”
Le Figaro: “And what about the rest of Ukraine?”
