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| François Hollande struggles to deflect jibes as France is left out in the cold | François Hollande struggles to deflect jibes as France is left out in the cold |
| (2 days later) | |
| If François Hollande was feeling left out by America and Russia's new-found friendship this weekend, a cartoon in the Huffington Post will have stung. The drawing showed the French president eavesdropping in front of a door marked "Kerry – Lavrov – Do not disturb". The cartoon was captioned "The Butler". | If François Hollande was feeling left out by America and Russia's new-found friendship this weekend, a cartoon in the Huffington Post will have stung. The drawing showed the French president eavesdropping in front of a door marked "Kerry – Lavrov – Do not disturb". The cartoon was captioned "The Butler". |
| The agreement hammered out between the US secretary of state, John Kerry, and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, appears to have left France out in the cold. | The agreement hammered out between the US secretary of state, John Kerry, and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, appears to have left France out in the cold. |
| Only a week ago, Paris was basking in a new-found sense of importance. France stood shoulder to shoulder with the US in pushing for a short, sharp military intervention against the Syrian regime. Britain was out of the game after David Cameron's parliamentary defeat over strikes on Damascus. | Only a week ago, Paris was basking in a new-found sense of importance. France stood shoulder to shoulder with the US in pushing for a short, sharp military intervention against the Syrian regime. Britain was out of the game after David Cameron's parliamentary defeat over strikes on Damascus. |
| Only France, described by Kerry as "America's oldest ally", was prepared to take military action alongside America. And Hollande was talking tough. The use of chemical weapons could "not go unpunished", warned the French president. Doing nothing was "not an option". | Only France, described by Kerry as "America's oldest ally", was prepared to take military action alongside America. And Hollande was talking tough. The use of chemical weapons could "not go unpunished", warned the French president. Doing nothing was "not an option". |
| Then the Russians threw a curveball by responding to an apparent blunder by Kerry suggesting Damascus be asked to give up its chemical weapons. Even then, it was France, perhaps sensing it was losing the initiative, that picked up the ball and ran with it, immediately proposing a UN resolution. | Then the Russians threw a curveball by responding to an apparent blunder by Kerry suggesting Damascus be asked to give up its chemical weapons. Even then, it was France, perhaps sensing it was losing the initiative, that picked up the ball and ran with it, immediately proposing a UN resolution. |
| The Russians said nyet, describing the threat of force contained in the French resolution as "unacceptable", only to agree to much the same thing in a deal thrashed out by Kerry and Lavrov in Geneva over the weekend. | The Russians said nyet, describing the threat of force contained in the French resolution as "unacceptable", only to agree to much the same thing in a deal thrashed out by Kerry and Lavrov in Geneva over the weekend. |
| Libération wrote: "In a key position when 'punitive' strikes against the Assad regime seemed imminent, France has remained on the margins of the American-Russian negotiations." | Libération wrote: "In a key position when 'punitive' strikes against the Assad regime seemed imminent, France has remained on the margins of the American-Russian negotiations." |
| Le Parisien added: "Yesterday, as during the last G20 meeting at St Petersburg, it's not been easy to make France's voice heard …" | Le Parisien added: "Yesterday, as during the last G20 meeting at St Petersburg, it's not been easy to make France's voice heard …" |
| Last night, Hollande, faced with a new poll suggesting the majority of French people are dissatisfied with his handling of the Syrian crisis, went on television to defend his position and insist France would not be sidelined. | Last night, Hollande, faced with a new poll suggesting the majority of French people are dissatisfied with his handling of the Syrian crisis, went on television to defend his position and insist France would not be sidelined. |
| "We threatened force … not just us but the United States and the United Kingdom. If we hadn't, Assad would have continued to threaten the population." | "We threatened force … not just us but the United States and the United Kingdom. If we hadn't, Assad would have continued to threaten the population." |
| He went on to say: "The pressure we exercised has played a part. The next step is to find a political solution." | He went on to say: "The pressure we exercised has played a part. The next step is to find a political solution." |
| It was a message his ministers had been repeating all day. On an official visit to Beijing, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said the Geneva accord was "an important advance, but only the first step. It's an important advance because what appeared impossible a few days ago has since become possible." | It was a message his ministers had been repeating all day. On an official visit to Beijing, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said the Geneva accord was "an important advance, but only the first step. It's an important advance because what appeared impossible a few days ago has since become possible." |
| Fabius, who is to hold trilateral talks with Kerry and British foreign secretary William Hague in Paris on Monday over the "content [of the US-Russian agreement] and the conditions for its approval and implementation", added: "If France as well as the US hadn't had a firm attitude [towards Syria], no agreement would have been found." | Fabius, who is to hold trilateral talks with Kerry and British foreign secretary William Hague in Paris on Monday over the "content [of the US-Russian agreement] and the conditions for its approval and implementation", added: "If France as well as the US hadn't had a firm attitude [towards Syria], no agreement would have been found." |
| Hollande, who had not spoken to the nation since the traditional presidential address on 14 July, defended his "method of considered firmness mixing the twin threat of military strikes and diplomatic pressure". Responding to criticism that France had become America's puppet, Hollande replied: "What crime is there to be with President Obama on this essential question that affects our own security? France considers that what has been agreed between Russians and Americans is an important step. | Hollande, who had not spoken to the nation since the traditional presidential address on 14 July, defended his "method of considered firmness mixing the twin threat of military strikes and diplomatic pressure". Responding to criticism that France had become America's puppet, Hollande replied: "What crime is there to be with President Obama on this essential question that affects our own security? France considers that what has been agreed between Russians and Americans is an important step. |
| "We will put into a form the next resolution of the UN security council." | "We will put into a form the next resolution of the UN security council." |
| The Elysée confirmed on Sunday night that Hollande will now meet Kerry and Hague with Fabius before the trilateral meeting. | The Elysée confirmed on Sunday night that Hollande will now meet Kerry and Hague with Fabius before the trilateral meeting. |
| For weeks now, Hollande has led the European response to the Syrian crisis, pursuing a hawkish approach to Damascus in stark contrast to the dilly-dallying of France's continental allies and neighbours. | For weeks now, Hollande has led the European response to the Syrian crisis, pursuing a hawkish approach to Damascus in stark contrast to the dilly-dallying of France's continental allies and neighbours. |
| He aligned himself with the American superpower – never a vote-winning move for a Gallic leader – only to be jilted at the last moment. He will be pleased he does not now have to go to war, but on Sunday evening he attempted to wrest back some of the credit he feels is due to France for forcing Damascus to give up weapons it denied even having. | He aligned himself with the American superpower – never a vote-winning move for a Gallic leader – only to be jilted at the last moment. He will be pleased he does not now have to go to war, but on Sunday evening he attempted to wrest back some of the credit he feels is due to France for forcing Damascus to give up weapons it denied even having. |
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