Ukraine Tell Macron Show your Love ("Je T Aime Moi non plus" )

 

By John Irish

Reuters

  

PARIS, (Reuters) - Romantic gestures take many forms... well on Wednesday Ukraine's defense ministry posted a video on social media aimed at giving France a gentle nudge to show its love through weapons supplies after repeated criticism that Paris has not been doing enough.

The 41-second clip on Twitter comes hours after a French security cabinet meeting held by President Emmanuel Macron decided that France had taken new decisions to "support Ukraine militarily" after speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. 

France has delivered Caesar howitzers, portable air defense systems, and heavily armored vehicles primarily.

However, a wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities has raised the stakes, with Kyiv demanding its partners provide more supplies, including air defense systems - something Paris has been unwilling to do so far.

Wednesday's clip made clear to France that it wanted more than just words and promises.

"Romantic gestures take many forms," images on the video read as the classic "Je T Aime Moi non plus" (I love you ... me neither), the suggestive and once-censored song that Serge Gainsbourg recorded with then-lover Jane Birkin, played in the background.

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• - NATO official

"But if you really want to win our hearts... nothing beats 155mm heavy self-propelled artillery ... Many thanks France. Please send us more!"

France's defense ministry announced on Tuesday that it was boosting its support on NATO's eastern flank by sending more tanks to Romania, Rafale fighter jets to Lithuania, and infantry to Estonia. It said nothing about Ukraine. 

 

France has delivered Caesar howitzers, portable air defense systems, and heavily armored vehicles primarily.

However, a wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities has raised the stakes, with Kyiv demanding its partners provide more supplies, including air defense systems - something Paris has been unwilling to do so far.

Ukraine made clear to France that it wanted more than just words and promises.

"Romantic gestures take many forms," images on the video read as the classic "Je t'aime moi non plus" (I love you ... me neither), the suggestive and once-censored song that Serge Gainsbourg recorded with then-lover Jane Birkin, played in the background.

Latest Updates

Ukraine gets new air defenses, allies deepen resolve after Russian strikes

Britain plans 'de-facto windfall tax' on low-carbon energy producers

European weapons manufacturers scramble to adapt to wartime demand

Scholz: if Germany continues to adapt, we will make it through winter

Russian nuclear strike would almost certainly draw "physical response" - NATO official

The images intertwine lovers holding hands in Paris, chocolates, roses, and Macron smiling with Zelenskiy. All with the French-made howitzer cannons in full action on the battlefield.

"But if you really want to win our hearts... nothing beats 155mm heavy self-propelled artillery ... Many thanks France. Please send us more!"

France's defense ministry announced on Tuesday that it was boosting its support on NATO's eastern flank by sending more tanks to Romania, Rafale fighter jets to Lithuania, and infantry to Estonia. It said nothing about Ukraine. 

Macron is due to be interviewed on national television Wednesday evening, during which diplomatic sources have said he may outline details of his proposed new support.

France does have the SAMP/T (Mamba) surface-to-air defense system, although quite how many it could provide is unclear. It deployed one such system to Romania in May.

"We have not had any answers from France to our requests on this," Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to France, told reporters on Monday.

Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Alex Richardson