Your propagandists tried to ruin my election, Macron tells Putin
EMMANUEL MACRON, the French president, yesterday accused Russian state-sponsored media of using “lying propaganda” to try to smear his electoral campaign, in an angry outburst as he stood alongside Vladimir Putin.
The new French leader also threatened an “instant response” should chemical weapons be used in Syria in a muscular exchange with his Russian counterpart at Louis XIV’S sumptuous Versailles palace outside Paris.
But he also pledged the two countries would forge a deeper “partnership” in fighting terrorism.
Fresh from a Nato meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Mr Macron promised “demanding dialogue” with Mr Putin, who was in France to celebrate 300 years of Franco-russian diplomacy and an exhibition of Tsar Peter the Great.
After “frank and direct” talks, the two men emerged into the Gallery of Great Battles, whose paintings chart 15 centuries of French victories, including over the Russians at Austerlitz.
Mr Macron accused pro-kremlin news outlet Russia Today and Sputnik of being “organs of influence and propaganda, of lying propaganda” against him in this year’s presidential election.
During that campaign, Mr Macron’s camp barred the two state-funded Russian outlets from accessing campaign headquarters, saying they were engaged in a “smear campaign”.
It also accused the Russians of having a hand in a massive cyberattack on key Macron aides.
Mr Putin declined to comment on the media ban, but brushed off the hacking allegations, saying: “Actions cannot be based on hunches, hunches that are moreover unconfirmed.”
He also fended off claims he had sought to influence the electoral outcome by meeting Mr Macron’s farright rival Marine Le Pen, whom he appeared to back during the campaign.
“That doesn’t mean we tried to influence the results of elections, indeed it’s almost impossible,” he said.
On the conflict in Syria, Mr Macron warned: “A very clear red line exists on our side, the use of chemical weapons by whomever.” This, he said, would spark “reprisals and instant response… from the French side”, without providing further details. Another red line was guaranteeing humanitarian access to besieged civilians.
Mr Macron also put Mr Putin on the spot by saying he had promised “the whole truth” about accusations of a crackdown on gay people in Chechnya.
The Russian president’s visit coincided with the arrival in France of the first Chechen gay person to be granted asylum because of persecution.
This was the latest diplomatic test for Mr Macron since his election two weeks ago. It started with a firm but brief handshake with Mr Putin, nothing like his white-knuckle clasping contest with Donald Trump, the US president, at the Nato summit.
The visit was designed to warm ties between the two countries that have remained frosty since the previous administration’s attitudes to Syria and Ukraine.
Mr Macron said: “Our absolute priority is the fight against terrorism and the eradication of terrorist groups and Daesh (Isil) in particular.
“It’s the guiding principle of our action in Syria and in which I want... for us to be able to strengthen our partnership with Russia.”
Mr Macron said he favoured “a democratic transition” in Syria that would “preserve the Syrian state” to avoid further chaos.
Both leaders also agreed the time was right for a new round of peace talks on Ukraine, Mr Macron confirmed. They hoped to start talks under the “Normandy format” which groups the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, in days or weeks.