The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy issues bold statements over the Ukrainian conflict and urge Macron to change approach with Algeria

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that Ukraine’s mission is to be a bridge between Europe and Russia, and it must remain a neutral country.

Sarkozy said during an interview with Le Figaro newspaper, “It’s necessary to understand what the mission of Ukraine… Will become part of the European Union? I don’t think so… Not only is’t not ready and doesn’t meet joining requirements, but it must remain a neutral country”.

Sarkozy continued, “I don’t understand why this neutrality could be offensive, at the same time, it can obtain reliable international security guarantees… Ukraine is the link between the West and the East and it must remain so”.

“Ukraine’s mission is to be a bridge between Europe and Russia, and to demand that Ukraine choose between the two, in my opinion, contradicts the history and geography of this complex region,” Sarkozy added.

The Former French president noted that while he was in office, neither did then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel support Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO, despite the strong US pressure, because they knew this was a red line for Russia.

Sarkozy also stressed that Crimea was and will remain a Russian land, indicating that talk of its return to Ukraine is a bluff and just an illusion.

Sarkozy said, “When talking about Crimea, which was part of the Russian lands until 1954 and where the majority of the population there still considers themselves Russians, I think that any talk of return is just an illusion”.

Sarkozy expressed his view that a referendum under the supervision of the international community was necessary to confirm the status quo.

Sarkozy expressed the idea of ​​holding similar elections in the new regions of Russia in order to close the subject of the return of these regions to Ukraine once and for all and transparently in the event that Ukraine didn’t want to freeze the conflict.

“It’s known that Crimea has become a Russian region again since March 2014, after the referendum that followed the coup in Ukraine… Kiev also still considers the peninsula a ((temporarily occupied territory)), and many Western countries support it in this position”.

Sarkozy stressed that it’s no longer possible for the European Union to cling to the idea of waging wars without indulging in them, and the need to follow diplomacy and not to pursue the interests of the United States.

Sarkozy pointed out in the interview that Washington’s interests here are embodied in prolonging the conflict in Ukraine, noting that it’s necessary to show courage and get out of this impasse because Europe’s interests in this regard don’t coincide with the interests of the Americans… We cannot stick to the strange idea of ​​waging war without entering into it”.

Sarkozy noted that he has deep differences with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but at the same time, there was a need to find ways for dialogue.

“The Russians are Slavs, they are different from us… Negotiations have always been difficult with them, and there have been many misunderstandings in the course of our common history, but despite this, we need the Russians, and they need us too… It’s necessary to move forward and find ways out… Russia is and will remain a neighbor to Europe”.

In another subject, the Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticized President Emmanuel Macron, and urge him not to try to build an artificial friendship with Algeria and risk deteriorating relations between France and Morocco.

Sarkozy said, “I supported President Macron in the recent presidential elections, but that doesn’t mean that we agree on everything”.

“Let’s not try to build an artificial friendship with Algeria that it systematically use France as a scapegoat to justify their failures and lack of legitimacy,” according to Sarkozy.

“They will always refuse… They desperately need to divert attention from the failure into which they have plunged their country by regularly blaming France for all the evils”.

Emmanuel Macron is seeking to achieve rapprochement with Algeria in the form of a historic reconciliation, which was to be achieved in the spring with a state visit by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Paris.

However, the date for this visit hasn’t been set yet, which indicates the continuation of differences between the two countries.

Sarkozy expressed his concern about the impact of the French approach efforts towards Algeria on the relationship with Morocco, which is also going through difficulties.

The former French president said, “This trend distances us from Morocco… We risk losing everything… We’re not gaining the confidence of Algeria and we are losing the confidence of Morocco”.