Interrogates, Saturday June 10 in the “Internationales” program on TV5 and The world, Xavier Bettel, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, revealed that he had attempted, at the beginning of the war, a mediation between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin. “People may not have understood this approach, but, still having contact with the Russian president, I thought it was necessary to promote an exchange. I would have been unhappy not to make this attempt, but I gave up when I finally saw that there was no more will to discuss on the Russian side”explained the leader of the coalition which brings together liberals, socialists and ecologists in the Grand Duchy.
“I negotiated with both parties and we were moving forward. We were close to the goal, but the conditions finally put forward on the Russian side turned out to be unacceptable for Ukraine, and also for Europe”indicated Mr. Bettel, while refusing however to detail these. “The strength of a small country is not to boast, but to make such an attempt. Today I’m disappointedcontinued the Luxembourg leader. When will President Putin understand that it is the civilians who drink, that brothers are today transformed into enemies? »
On the future of the conflict and Ukraine’s membership of NATO, Mr. Bettel is cautious. “It is important to continue to support Ukraine, because our values are also at stake. But we must do everything to avoid an application of Article 5 [du traité de l’OTAN], which would mean a new world war”.
“No ersatz Union”
While the conflict raises the question of the rapid integration of the Balkan countries into the European Union, and while Bosnia-Herzegovina or Kosovo remain powder kegs that the EU is trying to defuse, Mr Bettel believes that he “no question of an ersatz Union, which would offer all the advantages but, excuse me, without the hassle. The Union is not only advantages, but compromises, and therefore constraints. Among these, respect for the rule of law, freedom of the press and justice. The choice for Europe cannot be only financial, but also that of values”.
A problem also posed by Hungary and Poland, he admits, even if “Progress has nevertheless been recorded in these two countries” as a result of the pressure exerted on them. In any case, there is no question of opposing Budapest and Warsaw chairing future European councils: “The principle of the rotation of presidencies is impossible to modify, we have rules and it would be a very bad signal to derogate from them. » A different opinion from that expressed recently by Anna Lührmann, the German State Secretary for European Affairs.
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