Be serious for once: Macron tells Trump.
The French President Emanuel Macron visited South Korea at the beginning of Easter, where he held talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
While addressing a group of attentive students, Macron expressed his opposition to Donald Trump’s act of aggression against Iran. He acknowledged Iran’s shortcomings, but emphasized that military action or bombing a country is not the way to solve issues.
He cited historical events that the US should have learned from, starting with the infamous attack on Iraq over presumed possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). He also cited the attack on Libya and Afghanistan, neither of which left the US and the NATO members any better.
Respect People’s Sovereignty
President Macron emphasized the need to respect the sovereignty of states. He added that it is not for any country to encroach on another in the name of changing its regime.
In any case, he said, regime change is not the job of foreign states. As he said this, the French President was aware of Trump’s assertion that he attacked Iran to effect regime change.
Macron Questions Trump’s Unpresidential Behavior
Following Macron’s refusal to send out French military ships to the Strait of Hormuz as Trump had asked of NATO allies, Trump tried to mock Macron on a personal issue. Standing at a Presidential podium, Trump said that Macron’s wife treats Macron badly. The US President chose to exaggerate a 2025 incident, captured on camera as Macron and his wife alighted from an aircraft in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
Downplaying what he termed Trump’s inelegant remarks, Macron pointed out that the current world issues do not constitute a show. Rather, they are happenings affecting real lives.
He castigated the US President, indicating he does not seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation. He underlined the fact that Trump’s act of aggression against Iran is now affecting other countries in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere negatively.
Macron also pointed out that Trump’s tendency to say one thing today and the opposite the next day reflects a lack of seriousness. Additionally, he threw a jab at Trump’s behavior, saying, “Perhaps we shouldn’t speak every day”.
Disruption of World Order
Macron told the students how unfortunate it was to see big countries, normally in the lead, acting in ways that jeopardize their privileged positions in the world order.
He pointed out that for sanity and peace to prevail in the world, countries must adhere to the United Nations’ principles. These include sovereign equality and restraint from using force against another country.
There was some veiled sarcasm when Macron made his observation that international law does not seem to make sense to everybody (obviously, the likes of Trump).
French Peacefully Sourcing Oil from Iran
France has begun ferrying oil from Iran. Recently, an oil ship owned by a French company but bearing the flag of Malta was seen safely crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to keep a vigil at the Hormuz Strait to ensure that none of its adversaries passes through the waterway.
The message from Macron’s words and actions seems clear: not every traditional US ally is going to jeopardize its people’s welfare to remain in the bully’s good graces.