On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosted his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Berlin to discuss the Ukraine war and further sanctions against Russia. Macron was received with military honours ahead of a closed-door meeting and working dinner with Scholz.
Unsere deutsch-französische Freundschaft ist heute wichtiger denn je - auch als Motor und Inspirationsquelle für das europäische Projekt. Wir beide sind fest überzeugt: Europa gelingt nur gemeinsam. Lieber @EmmanuelMacron, diesen gemeinsamen Weg wollen wir weitergehen. pic.twitter.com/EoqUEWGdF7
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) May 9, 2022
Both Macron and Scholz pledged additional military and financial assistance to Ukraine, saying that Ukraine “belongs to the European family.” Speaking about Ukraine's membership in the European Union (EU), Scholz said, “the European Commission would soon give a recommendation on Ukraine’s request to become an official candidate for EU membership.”
Simultaneously, Macron underscored the importance of an immediate cease-fire for peace negotiations. “We remain focused on our objective: do everything we can to obtain a cease-fire, help Ukraine negotiate under the terms it will decide, because our stance is to stand by Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Macron.
🇫🇷President Macron & 🇩🇪Chancellor Scholz insist Ukraine negotiate with Russia & Russia withdraw troops
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) May 10, 2022
At joint presser, they said they "do everything we can to obtain a cease-fire, help Ukraine negotiate under the terms it will decide"https://t.co/8wZqGsTAKu
Before his close-door meeting with Macron, Scholz praised Franco-German friendship and reaffirmed support for Ukraine, saying, “We support Ukraine morally, financially, and militarily — with weapons. It cannot be the case that borders in Europe can be moved around with violence. And we will do everything we can to ensure the war does not spread to other countries and to enhance our defense capabilities.”
Similarly, Macron said he wanted to highlight the “importance of Franco-German friendship” by coming to Berlin for his first international trip since his re-election during last month’s presidential election.
Après mon investiture samedi, pour mon premier déplacement international, j’ai voulu marquer l’importance de l’amitié franco-allemande. Ce souhait m’était d’autant plus cher que nous nous retrouvons le 9 mai, Journée de l’Europe. Heureux de te retrouver, cher Olaf. pic.twitter.com/LHYcfGU32q
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 9, 2022
Additionally, Macron said Paris and Berlin would work together to tackle challenges such as climate change and digitalisation. “We will also strengthen our joint positions in terms of defense and foreign policy,” added Macron.
Commenting on the Ukraine war, Macron said Russia’s aggression has profoundly impacted Europe and led to countries initiating joint action “to try and ... achieve some sort of cessation of hostilities and protect Ukraine.” Additionally, he reiterated European Union’s (EU) support for Ukraine and committed to increasing sanctions on Moscow.
Furthermore, both countries underscored the importance of reducing reliance on Russia’s fossil fuels and restricting the impact of the war on food and energy supplies. In fact, the bloc currently imports 40% of its natural gas requirements from Russia. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the Union imported $46.46 billion in fossil fuels from Russia between the beginning of the invasion on February 24 and April 27.
However, the EU has been mulling an embargo on Russian oil, particularly in light of the Bucha massacre and Russian airstrikes on a school in Luhansk that left 60 people dead. However, the bloc hasn’t been able to reach a consensus due to staunch opposition from Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. An EU diplomat said, “There is no compromise among member states. Hungary is still opposing [the package], and this is the problem.”
Ukrainians approve of foreign leaders:
— Alexander Khrebet/Олександр Хребет (@AlexKhrebet) April 29, 2022
🇵🇱 Duda 92%
🇬🇧 Johnson 87%
🇺🇸 Biden 86%
🇹🇷 Erdoğan 76%
🇱🇹 Nauseda 75%
🇫🇷 Macron 75%
🇪🇺 von der Leyen 66%
🇩🇪 Scholz 30% positive, 54% negative. Steinmeier 26% positive, 44% negative.
🇧🇾 Lukashenko 96% negative
🇷🇺 Putin 98% negative#Ukraine
Nevertheless, the European Commission aims to phase out Russian crude oil within six months and refined oil by the end of 2022. The bloc is also deliberating on whether or not to extend certain exemptions to Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in order to gain consensus on an embargo.
Prior to his visit to Berlin, a statement by Élysée Palace said the two leaders would discuss the Ukraine war and Europe’s sovereignty, with a particular focus on defence and energy issues. In addition, the statement mentioned discussions on EU-China relations, the Western Balkans, the Sahel, and other significant bilateral issues.