![]() German analysts have pointed out that while Macron’s views on NATO and Russia appear radical, they coincide in many respects with opinions voiced by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a presumed potential successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. The incoming European Commission, headed by Germany’s former defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised to be more “geopolitical” in nature and may take a different approach. Maybe, but not me, Emmanuel.” FRANCO-GERMAN AXIS “President Macron says that he shares the same views on this subject as (Hungarian Prime Minister) Viktor Orban, and that he hopes that Mr Orban will help convince Poles to change their position on Russia. “Russia is not our ‘strategic partner’, but our ‘strategic problem’,” said Tusk, who has long voiced the threat many Poles feel from their former Soviet overlord. In a speech to the College of Europe on Wednesday, the former Polish prime minister dismissed the Frenchman’s ideas, calling Russia “aggressive” and bent on undermining Europe. But his prescription has fallen on deaf ears with outgoing European Council President Donald Tusk. On Russia, Macron went into detail about the challenges President Vladimir Putin faces, and underlined that re-engagement might take 10 years and would need to be handled carefully. “Because what all this shows is that we need to reappropriate our neighbourhood policy, we cannot let it be managed by third parties who do not share the same interests.” “And secondly, we need to reopen a strategic dialogue, without being naive and which will take time, with Russia. “Europe must become autonomous in terms of military strategy and capability,” declared Macron, setting out the first conclusion he draws from perceived shortcomings at NATO. That leads him to two major conclusions: that a Europe with strengthened defence capability and enhanced sovereignty will better counter-balance the United States and China and should reexamine strategic partnerships, including with Russia.Īnd that if the European Union (EU) is to protect what it has achieved over decades, project its influence in the world and build a community of nations not just a market, it needs to consolidate gains and reassess its enlargement policy. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated Usyk's success.The core argument is built around security and defence, with Macron positing that Europe must bolster its capacity and willingness to act, both because it cannot rely eternally on an unpredictable United States, and because within NATO it is being hamstrung by unilateral action like that of Turkey in Syria. "I devote this victory to my country, to my family, to my team, to all the military people who are defending the country. "I want to thank everyone who prayed for me and thank God for the help he gave me today," the champion said. Usyk, speaking via a translator, dedicated his victory to Ukraine. "I will annihilate both of them on the same night." ![]() "Only God knows whether I will fight him or not, but all these gentlemen here around me, my team, they are going to help me."įury was less than impressed by the fight, calling it "One of the worst heavyweight fights I've ever seen". "I want to fight him and if I am not fighting Tyson Fury, I am not fighting at all. "I am sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet,” he added. Fury insists he is retired but the Ukrainian, like Joshua before him, is not so certain. The defeat ends Joshua’s hopes of taking on Tyson Fury but Usyk, instead, is now eyeing a heavyweight unification fight with the Gypsy King. "Anthony is a great person and has done a lot for a lot of people, a lot for me, but I feel like he had a bit of a bad one there, and it was out of character." "It's words, but in the true reflection of boxing, that was Usyk's time to celebrate that victory, and he didn't get to do it straight away, and I don't think that was right. Somebody should have saved him from himself. ![]() "His team might be mad at me for saying this, but I feel he was hung out to dry there. "As a gym friend and a friend in general, for anyone offended in general by what happened, I think I can apologise on his behalf for the outburst," he told Sky Sports. He put his heart on his sleeve and hopefully didn't offend anybody, but he did steal Usyk's moment, and it was a bit strange." 'Somebody should have saved him from himself'įrazer Clarke, the Olympic bronze medallist, insists the tone-deaf outburst was so inappropriate that a member of his team should have intervened. It sparked confusion among fans and pundits, with British boxing great Carl Froch claming: “He was just trying to speak off the cuff. Please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.” He went on to claim Usyk’s win “showed the hard work he must have put in to beat me. ![]()
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