France’s Macron vows ‘immediate retaliation’ to Syria chemical attacks

Macron said last week that he wanted to bring together soon the “Normandy format” which groups the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine and which met first in Normandy, north-west France.

France’s new president Emmanuel Macron questioned Russian President Vladimir Putin on human rights during their meeting Monday.

Moscow strongly denied all allegations of meddling in the French election that Macron won on May 7.

France presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron will faceoff Marine Le Pen in an intense French presidential election.

Yesterday’s Versailles meeting added momentum to the argument that Donald Trump’s election and effect on the geopolitical landscape means that a de facto rapprochement between Europe and Russian Federation is on the cards.

Putin described Le Pen as a politician who wants to develop friendly ties with Russian Federation. Putin, who was standing by Macron as he said this, did not demur.

He says the meeting with Le Pen didn’t represent an attempt to sway the race.

The Kremlin hailed the visit as a chance for Putin and Macron to get to know each other and better understand their views on a range of disputed issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and Russia’s ties with the European Union.

“It’s indispensable to talk to Russian Federation because there are a number of worldwide subjects that will not be resolved without a tough dialogue with them”, Macron told reporters at the end of the G-7 summit Saturday.

Towards the end of the meeting Macron said that reopening the French embassy in Syria is not a priority at the moment. These hacking allegations, he said, were not based on facts. Putin, who is a long time ally of Assad, said he believes the stability of the Syrian state is crucial to combat terrorism.

Russian Federation has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the conflict, while France has pushed for Assad’s removal from office. Macron said fighting the Islamic State is an “absolute priority” and is a major reason to cooperate with Russian Federation.

Sounding less forthcoming, Putin said he was not sure if France’s Syria policy was “independent” because it was part of a U.S-led alliance, adding that Paris and Moscow had both points of disagreement and agreement over Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed confidence that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had no role in the April chemical attack in Idlib Province, describing the incident as the West’s pretext to continue its pressure against Damascus.

Former US president Barack Obama put himself in a tough spot with his ultimatum to Syria on the use of chemical weapons when he first used the “red line” phrase in August 2012.

He vowed to be “constantly vigilant on these issues”.

Fresh from talks with his Western counterparts at a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Macron was hosting the Russian president at the sumptuous 17th Century palace of Versailles outside Paris.

The news conference was held in the palace’s largest room, the Gallery of Great Battles, which celebrates 14 centuries of French military successes.