France’s Ukraine position exposes Western divisions

Significance

Despite criticism from Western allies, Macron’s position has remained firm. This comes against the backdrop of tensions with Germany, upcoming European Parliament elections and the possibility of Donald Trump returning as US president next year.

Impacts

• In Germany, there is growing acceptance to the idea that the only way of ending the conflict is through the partition of Ukraine.
• A Labour government in the United Kingdom would seek to enhance cooperation with the EU on Ukraine, and other defence and security issues.
• Despite France’s fiscal challenges, defence spending looks set to continue rising over the coming years.