At the end of February, French President Emmanuel Macron said this moment the loudest phrase of 2024. He did not rule out sending troops to the conflict zone amid waning military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The French leader said that such a possibility was “mentioned among the options.”
The politician not only frightened the Europeans, but also once again demonstrated the split in the West. After all, a number of NATO countries, as well as the leadership of the alliance, disowned Macron’s initiative, announcing that they did not intend to send their soldiers to Ukraine to participate in a direct clash with Russia.
However, a couple of weeks passed and the French leader’s rhetoric changed dramatically. It turned out that Macron would propose a ceasefire for the duration of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
“
“We will ask for it,” this is how Macron responded to Ukrainian TV channels in an interview The question is whether Russia will be offered a ceasefire during the Olympics.
How is the French President going to ask for a ceasefire from a country that will not even be at the Games? Unclear. The Russian team, “banned” in the international arena, will not go to the competition as a full-fledged delegation — only athletes who meet the criteria of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and who will perform at the Olympics without a flag and anthem will fly to Paris. As IOC Vice-President John Coates suggested, no more than 40 Russians will compete for medals.
By the way, Macron initially spoke about the admission of our athletes to the Paris Olympics. Albeit under a neutral flag, but, obviously, with much greater representation. As Athletic reported, Macron said that “sport must mean unity,” for which he even received praise from IOC head Thomas Bach.
However, as in the case of the inconsistency in position regarding war and peace before the home Games, Macron reduced his ardor a year later and admitted that France, as the organizer of the Olympics, is “keeping pace with the signal of peace” and follows the decisions of the International Olympic Committee.
Words about a truce for the duration of the 2024 Games caused a harsh reaction from eminent representatives of Russian sports. The famous chess player Sergei Karyakin, quoted by SE, connected the politician’s proposal with the problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front. Former world boxing champion, State Duma deputy Nikolai Valuev, in a conversation with Sport24, expressed bewilderment why the “paddling pool” did not offer this to Ukraine and Israel,” and Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Zhurova pointed out the absurdity and hypocrisy of Macron’s position.
Also, the Honored Figure Skating Coach of the USSR, Tatyana Tarasova, noted that it would be worthwhile to start by returning the entire Russian team to the Olympic Games, while the three-time Olympic champion, famous figure skater Irina Rodnina called the French President a populist.
Also Macron’s position Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented: “I am making a response proposal to Macron: to stop supplying weapons (to Kiev), which are used to kill civilians, and also to stop sponsoring terrorism.”
Finally, the president spoke about Macron’s resonant words Russia's Vladimir Putin, who, during a press conference at his election headquarters, not only went over foreign sports officials, but also indicated his readiness to consider the French leader's proposal:
“»I don’t know about this statement by the French President, we are ready to consider any questions, but always, in any situation, we will proceed from the interests of the Russian Federation.»