Macron’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron has long emphasised the importance of European countries strengthening their security and defence capabilities, which would enable them to pursue their strategic interests autonomously. He has also pursued a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the purpose of building ‘a new architecture’ of security and trust in Europe. After Putin launched a war against Ukraine in February 2022, Macron could have led the European response to the crisis in terms of military assistance. Instead, the mismatch between some of Macron’s words and actions has weakened his standing among his European allies, and it is not clear that it has raised his standing as an interlocutor in the eyes of Putin.