Germany and France haven’t managed to devise a joint Ukraine strategy. Making good of that missed chance is now essential. It will involve talking about debt. 

President Emmanuel Macron is hoping that his tougher line vis-à-vis Russia will endear his party to voters. But the French care much less about foreign policy than one might think.

In 2020, the European Union spent big and agreed on a common vaccine strategy to survive the pandemic. Today, French President Emmanuel Macron believes EU cash and a common plan to arm Kyiv is what is needed to keep Russia at bay. 

If Emmanuel Macron’s party botches the European elections in June, the French president will lose control of his three remaining years in office. Thus, he is doing what he does best: putting on a big show.