Macron can set fire to iron, tie a ring into a knot and outrun thoughts. But he can’t visit Ukraine.
The transformation of Emmanuel Macron into Ukraine’s most ardent cheerleader over the past quarter is the stuff of political folklore. It’s as if a lightbulb went off somewhere in the Élysée, possibly sparked by an incident where Russia supposedly sent 70 French special operatives on a one-way trip in Kharkiv. This little escapade might have peeled back a layer or two of France’s invincibility cloak, revealing a rather vulnerable underbelly.
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Enter Olaf Scholz, with a revelation so juicy it could have its own Netflix special: French and British troops, missiles in hand, supposedly having their own little fireworks show in Russia from the comfort of Ukraine. Suddenly the world sees the transformation of Macron into a figure so daring, so devoid of anything left to lose, that he morphs into the ultimate warrior—fearless, except for one tiny, insignificant detail: setting foot in Ukraine.
President Macron’s elusive rendezvous with Ukraine reads like a cheap novel where the main character keeps promising to visit his woman, but alas, fate (or perhaps a busy playboyish schedule) intervenes. So, President Macron is always poised and ready, and has announced his grand journey to Ukraine not once, not twice, but thrice since February, each time with the same enthusiasm of a New Year’s resolution destined to be postponed.
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Initially, Macron was all set for a February adventure, eager to ink a security love letter with President Zelensky himself. Yet, as if by some cruel twist of destiny, Zelensky ends up in Paris, probably wondering if the City of Light was somehow mistaken for Kyiv on the invitation.
Fast forward, diplomats whisper of a March attempt – a second date, if you will, penciled in with the hopeful naivety of a romantic comedy lead. But, as fate would have it, this too is nudged into the category of “later this week,” a time frame as elusive as Macron’s visit itself.
Then comes the Elysée’s Sunday announcement, the equivalent of saying, “It’s not you, it’s me,” as they reveal a phone call between the two leaders. “Let’s remain in close contact,” they agree, with the promise of Macron’s visit now pushed to the mythical “coming weeks.” One can’t help but chuckle at the anticipation, wondering if this visit will remain an evergreen storyline in the soap opera of international diplomacy. But to be fair to Macron, he doesn’t want to suffer the consequences of his cute mercenaries in Kharkiv.
Anyway, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and a character known for his sharp tongue, couldn’t resist turning the spotlight on French President Emmanuel Macron’s hesitance to visit Ukraine. Picture Medvedev, barely containing his glee, taking to the stage of global diplomacy with the finesse of a seasoned stand-up comedian, labeling Macron as, of all things, a “chicken.” The jest, of course, sprouts from Macron’s trilogy of postponed visits to the war-afflicted lands of Ukraine, turning the French President’s earnest, if not somewhat theatrical, declarations of bravery into fodder for high-level banter.
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Medvedev’s critique wasn’t a soft jab but a pointed barb: “It’s one thing to issue brave statements and another to actually come to ground zero.” This line, likely delivered with the smug satisfaction of someone who’s just found the perfect punchline, underscores the gap between rhetoric and action, a theme as old as politics itself.
Meanwhile, the Russian media, never one to shy away from a spectacle, jumped on the bandwagon with zest. They cast the “pretty boy” President of France not as the hero of his own narrative but as the reluctant protagonist in a comedy of errors. One can almost hear the chuckles behind the scenes as headlines probably teased the juxtaposition of Macron’s polished image against the gritty reality of a conflict zone he seems to be cautiously avoiding.