French President: NATO’s “weak” guarantees to Ukraine, Georgia led to Russian “vindictiveness”
Speaking at the Global Security Forum’s annual conference in Bratislava, Macron noted that over the last 15 years Russia had attempted to “shake up the entire structure” of European security and reshape it according to its terms. Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
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French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said “far too weak” perspectives of membership, offered by NATO to Ukraine and Georgia without efficient security guarantees, had exposed the two countries to Russian “vindictiveness” in the Kremlin’s military action against them over the years.
Speaking at the Global Security Forum’s annual conference in Bratislava, Macron noted that over the last 15 years Russia had attempted to “shake up the entire structure” of European security and reshape it according to its terms.
“The stages are known: Putin’s speech in Munich in 2007, the aggression against Georgia in 2008, against Ukraine in 2014, against Ukraine again in 2022 and the creeping vassalisation of Belarus”, Macron told the conference.
It must be acknowledged that we were unable to provide a European response or organise an architecture that would protect us through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe or the other projects envisaged at the time against these attacks”, he said.
“As for NATO's response, it was basically too much or too little. A prospect offered to Ukraine and Georgia without protecting them and with [security] guarantees that were far too weak exposed these two countries to Russian vindictiveness”, the French official noted.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday told a panel at the Bratislava Global Security Forum that Georgia’s 2008 war with Russia would have been prevented had a Georgian Dream government been in power in the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday left for Bratislava to participate in the Global Security Forum.
Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Thursday said his meetings with Georgian officials in Tbilisi had involved “good talks”, and pledged the alliance “remains committed” to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, on Wednesday said the alliance was “fully committed” to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, the “open door” policy and the decision taken at the NATO 2008 Bucharest Summit, where the bloc had pledged Georgia and Ukraine would become its members.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday wished Ukraine peace, ending the ongoing war soon and reconciliation of the country, in his comments to the media after the European Political Community Summit in Chișinău.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said his Government's “peaceful” policy on the backdrop of challenges sparked by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict was leading to reunification of the country.
The Georgian Government’s main task is to unite Georgia with peace, stability and the perspective of prosperity, the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday in his press comments after the European Political Community Summit in Chișinău.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said “all this dirty campaign” conducted against Georgia to damage the image of the country ended with the “fair” ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which rejected the imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s request to be transferred to Poland for treatment.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday accused the country’s “ill wishers both inside and outside” of “twisting” his comment at the Global Security Forum last week, where he named Kyiv’s “will and determination” to join NATO as “one of the reasons” that led to Russia’s invasion of the country last year.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine undermines “modern values and fundamental principles” of the rules-based international order, with Georgia “firmly standing” with “friendly nation” Ukraine and the “free world”, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Wednesday at a reception dedicated to the selection of Georgia as the focus country for this year’s Europalia arts festival.