France’s president is now the leader of the Free World

Ken Silverstein, Tribune News Service

After the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump last June, I called my French, German and Ukrainian contacts to get their take. They felt Biden was doomed — along with the NATO alliance. The president of the United States has guided the Free World since 1945, contributing to the fall of the Soviet Union. However, Trump’s “America First” approach dismisses global agreements, and his rhetoric emphasizes that viewpoint. He prefers isolationism, labeling NATO “obsolete,” and risking our collective security. Witness the US stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a recent UN resolution: We sided with Russia, North Korea and Belarus instead of our Western allies. Couple this with Trump calling Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, “a dictator” and blaming his country for instigating the war.

Trump has pulled the rug out from under NATO and Ukraine. Now, Europe is at the spear’s tip, positioning French President Emmanuel Macron as the Free World’s conductor. Macron champions multilateralism, striving to strengthen the European Union’s presence on the world stage and combating threats to the liberal order. “I do, indeed, think Macron is one of the very few remaining leaders of the Free World,” said Igor Novikov, a former adviser to Zelensky. “In this era of infantilism and isolation, he still thinks globally and long term. I respect that.”

Trump gushes at leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and he also supports far-right nationalist groups in Europe. Oh, and let’s not forget his decision to leave Syria and abandon a longtime ally of the United States, the Kurds.

That’s why Germany’s new leader, Friedrich Merz, concluded that Trump will bail on Europe and irrevocably change NATO. It’s not a leap to go from taking the global knee off Russia’s neck and forsaking Ukraine to giving the middle finger to Western Europe and Canada. That’s why Great Britain and France may send peacekeepers to Ukraine. Since taking office in 2017, France’s Macron has advocated for a stronger Europe, which requires economic integration and stronger defenses. Macron’s diplomatic skills have made him a natural global statesman. Notably, when nationalism and isolationism are on the rise, Macron is a shining example of someone who believes in working together and bridging divides. International associations are best suited to solve global dilemmas. By championing collective action, Macron provides the right counterbalance to unilateral approaches.

“We in Ukraine welcome President Macron’s strong advocacy in the U.S. and Europe for united support of Ukraine and a firm stance against Russia,” said Oleksiy Ryabchyn, the former people’s deputy of Ukraine. “His leadership — backing Ukraine’s NATO membership and EU accession — is the kind of French leadership we admire.”

After Russia’s invasion, Macron ramped up military aid for Ukraine and pressed for sanctions against Moscow. Contrast this with Trump’s methods, which are seemingly aligned with Russia’s World Order. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” Ryabchyn said. “Our government has done just that, laying the foundation for a pragmatic and fruitful U.S.-Ukraine relationship.”

Macron’s embrace of multilateral solutions goes beyond war and peace and extends to climate change. Domestically, he has spearheaded policies to reduce heat-trapping emissions and deploy cleaner energy sources while encouraging other Western nations to do the same.

This is certainly not the first time Europe has rescued the world from dictatorship and suppression of free thought. Winston Churchill led the charge against Nazi Germany while the United States initially dragged its feet. Macron has emerged as Europe’s modern-day champion — the stalwart to take on Putin and authoritarianism.

During Macron’s meeting with Trump at the White House recently, he challenged Trump’s assertion that Europe is essentially a freeloader, noting that the European continent now provides half of all aid to Ukraine. It could use $230 billion in frozen Russian assets to do even more. As The Atlantic put it, Trump’s “America First” policies mean “America Alone” — a position that now crowns Macron as the leader of the Free World.