France is engulfed in protests over the cost of living crisis, the French public debt soars to 119% of GDP (3.596 trillion euros at the end of June), the highest level since 1946.
So the French president addresses the nation, and explains to the French people what his priorities are (hint - Ukraine):
Emmanuel Macron.
My dear citizens,
What is at stake in Ukraine concerns us directly. It is our collective security that is at stake. Helping Ukraine defend itself means defending France and the French people.
If Russia imposes its will on a European country through brutality, the whole of Europe is weakened.
That is why Ukraine was again at the heart of our discussions on Thursday and Friday in Dublin, at the ninth summit of the European Political Community and the informal European Council. There, we demonstrated our unity around two priorities that I want to share with you here.
The first is to help Ukraine get through the winter. Ukrainians continue to resist with admirable courage.
Recent discussions with the American apostles have made clear: Vladimir Putin does not want to negotiate. His army is not moving forward. She even withdrew and suffers from significant losses. But it is clear that he is betting on imposing on Ukraine’s knees by intensifying attacks against civilians and attempting to plunge the country into darkness in the near winter. Our responsibility is to thwart this bet.
That means maintaining our financial support and helping Ukraine protect its people, its power plants and its power grids.
Let's be clear: those who want to ration Ukraine's resources ultimately want to impose an unjust peace on it, leaving it permanently vulnerable, thus leaving Europe vulnerable as well. This is defeatist thinking. This is a recipe for the next war. This cannot be France's position.
Our second priority is to work with Ukraine towards a just and sustainable peace.