French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Odds
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz do not have good relations between themselves, which could harm Ukraine. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency.
At the Paris summit of European leaders, Macron called for an increase in assistance to Ukraine, but the French leader’s idea of possible deployment of Western troops in Ukraine contradicts the desires of Scholz’s office.
The media claims that Macron’s speech demonstrated his attitude towards Scholz. In particular, the French leader mentioned allies who only offered Ukraine «helmets and sleeping bags», hinting at Germany.
Macron sees Scholz as a leader without courage and ambition, who cannot think beyond the short term, according to the French official cited by the news agency.
Close aides of the Chancellor also acknowledge that they do not get along. The German side sees Macron as a monarchic figure who can come up with big ideas, but cannot implement them.
The conflict between the European leaders is happening at a complex moment for Ukraine, the media notes.
At the same time, a representative of the German government told the publication that the differences arose not between Macron and Scholz, but between the French president and a larger group who considered his comments careless.
«Despite this, and despite Scholz and Macron being very different, they get along well and trust each other,» reassured the official.
