Nicolas Sarkozy is a French politician who acted as the president of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found culpable of having attempted to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information and spending beyond legal campaign budget limits during his 2012 re-election campaign. Critics have blamed the former president for being a “Kremlin influencer”, pointing out that Sarkozy has long bragged about his companionship with Putin.
In an interview to advertise the 560-page book, Sarkozy supported Vladimir Putin and called for Ukraine to accept the Russian occupation of Crimea and other fought territories. He also urged Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO or the European Union and should remain “neutral” to alleviate Russia’s fears of being surrounded by “hostile neighbours”.
During his presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy had a rather diverse relationship with Russia. He was active in diplomatic efforts, negotiating the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, and advocating for more robust economic ties between the two countries. He was dissected for occasionally echoing Moscow’s viewpoints and having close links to Vladimir Putin.
His approach obtained criticism for being too accommodating, particularly in terms of human rights and democratic values. Jérôme Poirot, an ex-intelligence advisor to Sarkozy, expressed his comments were “shameful” and a rewriting of the past. Sarkozy declared France and Germany had helped sidestep a third world war by acknowledging Putin’s “red lines” over national boundaries and rejecting Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO in April 2008.
In a discussion with Le Figaro in August 2023, Sarkozy stated that Ukraine should remain “neutral” and not join NATO or the EU; that France and Russia “need each other”; and that Macron should “renew dialogue” with Putin. In the same discussion, Sarkozy called for Ukraine to carry on the Russian occupation of Crimea as well as other contested territories, depicting the return of Crimea to Ukraine as “illusory”. He criticised the Russian invasion of Ukraine but insisted that
“Russia will remain our neighbour whether we like it or not. We must find ways and indicates to re-establish neighbourly, or at least calmer, connections”
and
“take into account Russia’s historic fear of being surrounded by unfriendly neighbours.”
Critics have reproved his remarks as “shameful” and “shocking”, and others have blamed Sarkozy for being a “Kremlin influencer”. Sarkozy has also acquired support from others for his position, claiming that it presents a “diplomatic way out” of the war.
Many times he expressed views that are meant to be pro-Russia statements such as
“Ukraine is a bridge between Europe and Russia. We must push it to have amazing connections with Europe and with Russia. We cannot solve the Syrian drama without Russia. The more disagreements we have with Vladimir Putin, the more dialogue is needed”
and once he said that he has always been a friend of Vladimir Putin because he’s the kind of person he can talk with, even despite all the differences.
