French MNE accuses French candidate Unsubmissive: “Kremlin spokesperson”

O minister of Europe and French Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, today accused the French Unsubmissive candidate of being a spokesperson for the Kremlin, for stating that the resolution of the war is to give up territories to Russia.

“ He has simply become the spokesperson for the Kremlin worldwide, the Kremlin tries to convince the Heads of State and Government that the Donbass is Russian and that the war of aggression is a war of liberation from the Donbass, Jean-Noël Barrot declared in the RTL/Public Sénat.

The candidate of the France Unsubmissive movement to the presidential elections, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said on Saturday that the resolution of the war in Ukraine could go through territorial concessions, particularly in the Donbass, where, according to him, the population should be consulted.

Often criticized for calling into question the legitimacy of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, or for denouncing the Ukrainians’ long-range attacks, he said to refuse “to consider a peace with territorial concessions in Ukraine, without asking the populations concerned whether they agree to stay on this side of the border or the other”.

Europeans and France will be “represented” in the negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians, which are due to take place on 10 and 11 November in Abu Dhabi, under American mediation, the head of French diplomacy announced today.

“ Europeans will be well represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi to participate in these discussions,” Jean-Noël Barrot said. “I still cannot tell who will represent France on this occasion, but it will be there,” he added.

“ There were discussions, sometimes without Europeans, sometimes with Europeans. This time, they will participate, France will be present and will make the voice of Europe heard,” he said.

These statements arise at a time when, this week, the head of the Italian Government, Giorgia Meloni, denounced the “disorganised” approach of European countries in the negotiations on Ukraine, demanding that the European Union indicate who speaks on its behalf, in a letter to which AFP had access on Thursday.

For her part, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, insisted on Friday that Europe should be associated with any resolution of the conflict.