French Leading Factions Unite Against Obama’s War on Russia

France’s political parties are unified in President François Hollande’s opposition to Obama’s war against Russia, and denounced it in the strongest terms. The Socialist government of Hollande; the conservative Union for a Popular Movement Party (UMP) led by former French President Sarkozy, and Marine Le Pen’s National Front party declared, as Sarkozy stated it,

“The interests of the Americans with [regard to] the Russians are not the interests of Europe and Russia.”

The break with the captured British pawn Obama came over his intention to send lethal weapons to the Nazis in Kiev. This would be a “casus belli” for Russia, against the U.S. and its coalition “partners.”

Former French President Sarkozy addressed the Congress of the UMP Feb. 7,

“We are part of a common civilization with Russia. We do not want the revival of a Cold War between Europe and Russia.”

With regard to Crimea’s decision to secede from Ukraine, Sarkozy said,

“Crimea has chosen Russia, and we cannot blame it [for doing so]…. We must find the means to create a peacekeeping force to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine.” He added further, “Ukraine is not destined to join the EU. Ukraine must preserve its role as a bridge between Europe and Russia.”

President Hollande himself called for broader autonomy for the Donbass regions of Ukraine. They need “rather strong autonomy” from Kiev, he told France 1 TV Feb. 8. Hollande’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius said there must be no new sanctions imposed on Russia or Ukrainians while the “Normandy” negotiations are ongoing.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front, called EU Headquarters in Brussels “American lackeys” over the EU Ukraine policy. She told reporters

“the aim of the Americans is to start a war in Europe to push NATO to the Russian border.”

Even stronger were the Feb. 8 statements of former Foreign Minister François Fillon to the public broadcaster France 5, that the United States is

“attempting to unleash a war in Europe, which would end in complete catastrophe….Total war caused by the Ukrainian conflict is absolutely unacceptable.”

Two things are clear, then. Very forceful French pressure is driving the last-minute diplomatic efforts to snatch a ceasefire from the jaws of the U.S.-British drive for war. And France itself continues to be affected by the revolutionary impulse of national unity from the huge marches following the Paris terror attacks a month ago. That potential revolutionary change was noted immediately then by Lyndon LaRouche, who said that the “28 pages” press conference on the day of the attacks had launched a change in the world situation.