Among the forgotten good manners, the one that dominates these days is that of consulting allies before expressing oneself on delicate and risky issues, such as a war for example. French President Macron is the standard-bearer of this wicked new trend, without a moment’s thought he returns to the topic of sending French soldiers to reinforce the Ukrainian army; the counter song is sung by the British Foreign Minister, flaunting the hope of using the armament supplied to Zelenski even outside the borders and deep inside Russian territory. Once such topics were daily bread for the Sherpas’ teeth; on the hypotheses so improvidently given to the media there would have been frenetic work, a cross-reference with friendly chancelleries or those interested in the individual issues and then everything would have been formalized in their own offices. This is what the rules of correct and elementary institutional and diplomatic etiquette say. However, what is there for all to see today is the bizarre, clumsy, rude and dangerous ostentation. For everyone.
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And to say that the consultation and discussion bodies have even multiplied, some, even if improper, are within reach, such as the G7, the G20 or the Council of European Heads of State and Government; other associations, however, the most pertinent ones, were set aside to make room for a recurring and infamous outing to the media. More specifically, it is not superfluous to point out that the most suitable forum for developing a shared line with respect to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is NATO, and this is what the Treaty provides in Article 4: «The Member States will consult each other whenever, in opinion of one of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of one of the parties may be threatened.” On the merits, Macron’s outburst is also senseless from a technical point of view, a truly self-defeating measure. Anyone wishing to enter the ongoing conflict today would have to redesign the doctrine of the use of forces from top to bottom, draw a line and start over again according to the mechanisms and procedures that we all, including the French, have known well and have practiced for decades. And who have given a good account of themselves in armed conflicts. Putting additional men on the ground today without changing the score would mean associating them with the disastrous fate of the Russians and Ukrainians.
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As regards Cameron’s declarations, they are certainly more understandable and acceptable even if unjustified due to the way in which they were presented. If put into practice, they would eliminate the extravagant assumption according to which an invaded country, reduced to rubble, outraged by barbarism, deportations and every kind of atrocity must limit itself to repelling the invader without even being able to intervene on the sustainability of his operations hitting supply lines or significant military targets. Ultimately, the hope is that the voices outside the chorus of France and Great Britain can be an opportunity for a general clarification in the right places, a clarification that can on the one hand update – and it is extremely appropriate – the line of conduct for support for ‘Ukraine and on the other to verify the conditions to finally create a negotiating platform in which to involve Russia and other interested countries.
