VIDEO. War in Ukraine: this visit “was a message to Vladimir Putin”, says Emmanuel Macron

“The fact that the four of us went to say ‘we support Ukraine’ (…) is likely to build consensus around the table.” On the train returning from Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron answered questions from “C à vous”, on France 5. >> Find the latest information on the war in Ukraine in our live The Head of State returned to his visit to kyiv with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, saying that bringing them together was a “challenge”. “As the war lasts, its consequences are felt on our lives, our businesses, inflation, the rise in the price of cereals and food… All this will mechanically [les Européens] divide,” said the French president. The idea, according to Emmanuel Macron, was to bring together leaders before the European Council which is to be held on June 24 and 25. In the group, it was important to have countries among the largest in the European Union, “with different sensitivities”, but also “a country in the East [la Roumanie] so that there is no east-west division”, and a direct neighboring country of the war in Ukraine. This visit “was a very clear message to Vladimir Putin”, says Emmanuel Macron, to tell him “we are there, we stand, we are united”. The Russian president “wants the dismantling of the European Union and he does not believe in the model of liberal democracies”, affirms the French president And to add: “Liberal in the political sense of term, that is to say democracies with free elections, which are not rigged, where there is independent justice, an independent press, universities with academic freedom, and a separation of powers and games of counter-powers”, enumerates Emmanuel Macron, before concluding: “Him [Vladimir Poutine]he is against this model!”