Global Eyes

Plus: The French Election Twitter Summit

The French Election Twitter Summit

If you’re on Twitter today, join us for our weekly summit to discuss France’s presidential election at 3:00 pm Paris time. The link’s below the paywall. If you’re planning to join, here are some items from the French media this week that might interest you. (If you don’t read French, use the magic goggles.)

• Presidential election 2022: polls and latest news

• Marine Le Pen unveils her campaign slogan: “A stateswoman for France.”

• Covid, yellow vests, reforms, the presidential election: What you need to know about Macron’s interview on TF1

• Want to watch Macron’s interview on TF1? It’s two hours long, but it’s interesting.¹

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What deters Russia

Toomas Hendrik Ilves recommended this essay by Keir Giles with the words, “To anyone with a serious interest in how to deal with Putin’s ultimatum, Keir Giles knows more on how to deal with the Kremlin than any other expert I’ve read.” I agree that if you only read one thing about Russia this week, this is what you should read.

If you want to read two things:

Molly McKew @MollyMcKew

So the Kremlin is detailing its position on “negotiations with NATO” and it’s that NATO must return to its 1997 borders and “take everything out and there is no “menu” but all demands must be accepted — so can we please stop evaluating this as an option for serious people? /1

Molly McKew @MollyMcKew

Truly, what the Kremlin just said is only a fool or a traitor would present negotiations with Russia on security architecture as a serious option for a way ahead. And like, everyone at a US podium needs to hear what they are saying, and stop. /2

Molly McKew @MollyMcKew

Ryabkov is laughing at everything like this is the most fun he’s had in years. It’s an utter mockery of any attempts of “stable and predictable” relations with Russia. /3

Molly McKew @MollyMcKew

Final sentence: “politicians & military strategists who report to their headquarters on how much they succeeded in harassing russia — their comfortable life should end.” 🙄 Wait so does this mean we can skip the reports on “successful harassment of Russia” this week?? /4

Molly McKew @MollyMcKew

Make it stop. Either the WH doesn’t know or doesn’t care that everything they do is encouraging a worse outcome for Ukraine. Truly staggering to watch.

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The Boris Johnson Advent Calendar