Legend and fascination, geopolitics and deterrence: Intellectual myths and neoteric French policy towards Russia
Legend and fascination, geopolitics and deterrence: Intellectual myths and neoteric French policy towards Russia

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the evolution of France’s foreign policy toward Russia, tracing the shift from historical fascination to active deterrence. It analyses the historical and ideological roots of France’s diplomatic stance in light of changing geopolitical dynamics. Drawing on historical accounts of Franco-Russian relations and recent policies under President Emmanuel Macron, the study employs qualitative analysis of French foreign policy discourse and strategic positioning in Europe. The findings indicate that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has prompted a major shift: historical ambivalence, once shaped by ideological sympathy and rivalry with the US, has given way to a unified European stance aligning France with Central European states. This reflects a broader ideological turn toward European unity and NATO-EU cooperation. France’s new approach is not merely reactive but part of a strategic vision of a geopolitically autonomous Europe, with Paris assuming a leading role in shaping a cohesive Western response to Russia.

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