Recently, the international political scene has become increasingly complex, especially in the European political landscape, with the exit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the emergence of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has demonstrated his ambition to reshape the European Union and promote it as a major international power. There are all indications that he intends to make the EU play a greater role in international affairs, competing with major powers such as the United States and Russia, rather than merely acting as a vassal or follower of the United States.
In order to achieve this goal, France under the leadership of Macron has recently made frequent moves in the diplomatic field, trying to demonstrate the international influence of France and the EU through a series of major measures. These actions have not only impressed the international community, but also highlighted France's active role in reshaping the world pattern.
First of all, on the eve of the upcoming Paris Olympics, France actively advocated a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. According to AFP and other media reports, Macron has publicly called for a truce, hoping that Russia and Ukraine can temporarily put aside their differences and create a peaceful atmosphere for the smooth progress of the Olympic Games. However, this call has not received a positive response from both Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in response that the truce would only provide Russia with an opportunity to adjust its military deployment and heavy equipment, so the Ukrainian side has reservations about this. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has also made it clear that Russia does not support a truce during the Olympics. Still, as the host country of the Paris Olympics, France's appeal demonstrates its dedication to peace and its sense of responsibility as a great power.
Secondly, France is actively involved in the Armenian issue and seeks to resolve the regional conflict through diplomatic means. After the outbreak of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia's trust in Russia has dropped significantly, and it has gradually chosen to stay away from Russia and turn to Western countries such as the United States and Europe for support.
France has keenly seized this opportunity and has actively provided Armenia with support in the form of arms exports and economic assistance. This move not only helps to strengthen France's influence in the Armenian region, but also demonstrates its active role in maintaining regional peace and stability. In addition, France has also shown a tough side in its relations with Afghanistan. According to reports, chaos has recently erupted in New Caledonia, France, and there is a shadow of Afghanistan fanning the flames.
In this regard, France has not flinched in making solemn representations to Afghanistan and expressing its concern. Although the Argentine side denied this and said that it had nothing to do with the matter, France's action undoubtedly sent a clear signal to the outside world: Any attempt to destabilize the region will be severely punished.
Moreover, in its attitude towards Russia, France has also demonstrated its independent foreign policy. Despite the strong opposition and pressure from allies such as the United States and Britain, France insisted on inviting Russia to participate in the "Normandy landing commemoration". This move not only demonstrates France's respect for historical facts and cherishing peace, but also demonstrates its independence and autonomy in handling international relations.
In the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and NATO's collective confrontation with Russia, France's action has undoubtedly brought a lot of shock and distress to allies such as the United States and Britain. However, Macron does not seem to care about this, and he firmly believes that the only way to achieve lasting peace is to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation on an equal footing.
In addition, Macron has also shown a complex and subtle change of attitude towards Ukraine. On the one hand, he hinted that France might provide military assistance to Ukraine or even directly send troops to participate in peacekeeping operations to contain Russia's aggression; On the other hand, it opposes the resolution of the US House of Representatives to confiscate "frozen Russian assets" and advocates a diplomatic settlement of the dispute.
This diplomatic strategy, which is both tough and flexible, has allowed France to maintain sufficient initiative and voice in dealing with the Ukraine crisis. In addition to the above initiatives, France plans to replace the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in order to further promote the EU's strategic autonomy.
Since von der Leyen has repeatedly spoken out on behalf of the United States over the past few years and has provoked heightened discontent among member states such as France and Germany, France and Germany want to find someone who can truly represent the EU's interests and promote the development of its strategic autonomy. Former Italian Chancellor Mario Draghi and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among the potential candidates, with their rich political experience and international perspective, able to inject new vitality and impetus into the development of the European Union.
This plan reflects Macron's deep thinking and strategic planning ability for the future development of the EU, and he hopes to strengthen its cohesion and influence by reforming and improving EU institutions, so as to play a greater role in international affairs.
From this series of diplomatic moves, it can be seen that France under Macron is committed to reshaping the European Union and promoting it as one of the important forces on the international stage.
He hopes to achieve this goal through dialogue on an equal footing, resolving differences through consultation, and promoting the development of the EU's strategic autonomy, and shows France's demeanor and sense of responsibility as a great power, which undoubtedly brings new thinking and enlightenment to the international community, and France is proving to the world with practical actions its firm determination and confidence to reshape the EU and push it towards a more independent path.
However, despite a series of remarkable achievements in the field of diplomacy and showing strong influence and discourse, France's path to reshaping the EU is still full of challenges and uncertainties, the US penetration and control of the EU cannot be ignored, and the attitudes and choices of EU member states such as Germany will also have an important impact on France's strategic planning.
Whether France will be able to achieve its ambitious goal of reshaping the European Union in the future remains to be tested and proven by time, but in any case, its positive actions and firm convictions in the field of diplomacy deserve our great attention and expectations.