Facing Putin's "Pandora's Box" - Macron responds with a dramatic step
After Ukraine increased attacks against economic targets in Russia, Putin threatened to strike its "most sensitive sectors." At the same time, Macron promised Zelensky to accelerate shipments of missiles and defense systems to Kyiv.
French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to significantly accelerate shipments of new French military equipment to Ukraine, as revealed over the weekend by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The announcement follows a lengthy phone call between the two leaders, which lasted nearly two hours, during which Kyiv's growing distress regarding advanced air defense systems was discussed at length.
According to the Reuters news agency, the focus of the conversation was the acute Ukrainian shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors. The Patriot air defense system is currently the only weapon in the Ukrainian arsenal capable of successfully intercepting the fast ballistic missiles that Russia is using in the war. Given the shortage, Macron expressed his willingness to intervene personally and act on behalf of Ukraine with other Western allies who hold stocks of these interceptors.
The urgency in accelerating the shipments comes against the backdrop of a significant escalation in the Kremlin's air strikes. Zelensky has recently turned to his country's allies with repeated requests to provide additional interceptor missiles. In response to the Russian bombings, Ukraine launched a campaign of its own and began attacking economic targets inside the territory of Russia itself. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed this over the weekend and warned that Kyiv had opened a "Pandora's box," while threatening that Moscow would strike back at Ukraine's "most sensitive economic sectors."
Beyond the American systems, Ukraine is eagerly awaiting the delivery of the new missile defense system, the SAMP/T-NG, a joint Italian-French development. Military experts estimate that the system will be capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, although it has not yet been tested in actual combat conditions. European diplomats had previously estimated that the system was not expected to arrive in Ukraine before the spring of next year, but now, it has been agreed to accelerate the schedules. The Aster missiles used by the system are manufactured by Eurosam, a joint venture of the European missile manufacturer MBDA and the French company Thales. Zelensky noted that an agreement had been reached on granting licenses for the production of missiles, including long-range SCALP cruise missiles.
On the humanitarian level, Macron issued an official statement in which he expressed to Zelensky his "shock and deep emotion" following a deadly Russian drone attack on a crowded shopping center in the city of Kryvyi Rih last Friday. The attack claimed the lives of at least 16 people and left about 130 wounded. Macron stated:
"By systematically targeting civilians and choosing intimidation and escalation, Russia is likely seeking to project strength, but above all, it is exposing its weakness."
The conversation between the two took place ahead of an important meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing," a group of pro-Ukrainian countries. The meeting, which will be held in Kyiv tomorrow, will be co-chaired by Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The summit follows a meeting held in Paris in July, where a coalition of 10 European countries was launched to develop an anti-ballistic missile system as a cheaper alternative to the American Patriot. In addition to armaments, Zelensky revealed that he and Macron discussed the status of possible peace talks and communication with Washington, in an attempt to "open additional diplomatic opportunities."
