From discussions with Putin to weapons supplies: How France reassessed its policy towards Ukraine.

14 July 2025

EP

Macron’s evolving stance on Ukraine shows a shift from initial diplomacy to strong support for NATO membership, while also engaging Russia amid European strategic debates.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

France’s foreign policy towards Ukraine has evolved significantly since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Initially, President Emmanuel Macron advocated for maintaining open diplomatic ties with Russia, a stance criticized by Ukraine and Eastern European allies. A turning point occurred in June 2022 after Macron witnessed the devastation in Irpin, leading him to unequivocally condemn Russian actions and support Ukraine’s EU integration. Subsequently, France increased military aid and strongly advocated for Ukraine’s NATO membership at the 2023 Vilnius summit. In 2024 and 2025, Macron pushed for European strategic autonomy, despite facing domestic political instability and resistance from some allies. Despite friction, France remained a major military aid provider, committing billions of euros and engaging in high-level defense planning. At the 2025 NATO summit, Macron strongly backed Ukraine’s NATO and EU membership. Later in 2025, Macron initiated a phone call with Vladimir Putin, which, while reopening dialogue, was framed by French officials not as a policy reversal, but as a strategic move to bolster Ukraine’s interests amid competing international diplomatic efforts.

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