Russia's invasion of Ukraine not just Europe's matter but attack against world order: former French PM

Russias invasion of Ukraine was a deliberate act of force against the world order and not just a Europes problem, former French prime minister Edouard Philippe said here on Friday.He also said that living in a world led by the undemocratic China would not be the same thing as living in a US-led world.Philippe, on a visit to India, delivered a lecture on The quest for balance in an imbalanced world at the citys St Xaviers College.


PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 17-03-2023 20:29 IST | Created: 17-03-2023 20:29 IST
Russia's invasion of Ukraine not just Europe's matter but attack against world order: former French PM
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a ''deliberate act of force'' against the world order and not just a Europe's problem, former French prime minister Edouard Philippe said here on Friday.

He also said that living in a world led by the undemocratic China would not be the same thing as living in a US-led world.

Philippe, on a visit to India, delivered a lecture on 'The quest for balance in an imbalanced world' at the city's St Xavier's College. ''One might think that the situation in Ukraine is a European matter. Let me tell you that, it is not,'' he said, referring to Russia's war in Ukraine which completed one year in February.

''It is a deliberate act of force against the charter of the UN, against the world order and democratic aspiration of a sovereign state. It is a massive attack against all that," Philippe said.

The French politician, currently the mayor of Le Havre, is on a visit to India from March 14-17 to boost bilateral economic ties. He was prime minister of President Emmanuel Macron's government from April 2017 to July 2020.

To a question on Indo-French cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a region which is witnessing rising assertiveness of the Chinese Navy, Philippe said the ability to sail in every seas of the planet, especially in Asia, is a challenge.

"We also have issues of security to tackle. We also have issues with biodiversity preservation. So the challenges are numerous. I am pretty sure that if India and France can lead that Indo-Pacific axis, we will go very far and obtain results that we need…working together, building that trust, defending of common interest is (what) this axis is all about," he said. In his lecture, he said on most indicators China has already surpassed the United States and it is a ''tectonic shift'' in the global balance of power. "We can see everyday China's determination to become number one. The One Road One Belt is illustrative," he said. "But China is not a democracy and living in a world led by China is not exactly the same business as living in a world led by the US," Philippe added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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