Macron And Von Der Leyen In Political Tennis Match. Who Gets To Moscow First. Thus Far, Advantage Macron
Macron-Von Der Leyen Political Tennis Match
Advantage Macron
Von Der Leyen Needs Permission Slip
Macron Has An Aircraft
The President of France and the President of the European Commission are engaged in a political tennis match focusing upon the government of Ukraine.
If their first serves do not accomplish the desired mission, they still have a second serve. Each are lobbing forehands and backhands ensuring an audience as they float generously prior to landing.
Now, the outcome of their political tennis match may decide who travels first to the city of Moscow to meet at the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (2000-2008 and 2012-2030).
Watching from afar in the VIP section will be Donald Trump, President of the United States (2017-2021 and 2025-2029), and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019-2024; term extended due to imposition of martial law in 2022).
Complicating any discussion trajectory for Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France (2017-2027), and Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President (2019-2029) of the European Commission (EC), is President Trump believes he is the umpire- the decider (and beneficiary) as to the outcome of the Russian Federation-Ukraine War. President Putin will certainly leverage the mutual desire (competition) of Europe and the United States.
Dr. von der Leyen is one of two primary administrative representatives of the twenty-seven-country member Brussels, Belgium-based European Union (EU). Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024) serves as president (2024-2029) of the European Council (EC).
EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
European Commission. “[I]s the executive body of the European Union. Its main roles include: proposing new laws and policies; monitoring their implementation; managing the EU budget. The Commission also ensures that EU policies and laws are correctly applied across Member States, negotiates international agreements on behalf of the EU, and allocates funding. Additionally, it represents the interests of the EU on the global stage, ensuring a coordinated approach among EU countries.”
European Council. “[I] is the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. The members of the European Council are the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states, the European Council President and the President of the European Commission.”
In points and sets, advantage is to President Macron. He is popularly elected head of state. France is a member of the EU and the thirty-two-country-member Brussels, Belgium-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). France hosts nuclear weapons. France is a member of the G7 and G20. France has the seventh-largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP). France has an air force, army, and navy. President Macron is completing his second and final term which ends in May 2027, hence a focus upon legacy achievements. And President Macron is proficient at tennis.
NATO: United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, Turkiye, Latvia, and North Macedonia, Sweden.
Dr. von der Leyen can represent only the European Commission component of the EU. Mr. Costa can only represent the European Council component of the EU. Neither may speak for the EU or bind the EU absent a mandate to do so.
Dr. von der Leyen requires approval from others to travel. And, equally significant, the EU, EC, and EC do not have a fleet of aircraft. To travel, budgeted funds must be used to charter or to find a government willing to provide an aircraft.
President Macron does not need permission from anyone to travel. President Macron has access to several aircraft., including an Airbus A300-200. When the president of France is aboard, the aircraft call sign is “Cotam Unité.”
President Macron met with President Putin in Moscow on 7 February 2022. His last reported engagement with President Putin was by telephone in July 2025.
“I think that we Europeans and Ukrainians need to find a framework to engage a discussion in due form… Otherwise, we are discussing among ourselves with negotiators who will negotiate on their own with the Russians. That is not optimal.” Emmanuel Macron, President of France
From the government of the Russian Federation: President Putin “expressed readiness to engage in dialogue” with President Macron
From the government of France: “It is welcome that the Kremlin has publicly agreed to this approach. We will decide in the coming days on the best way to proceed.”
An outstanding question is would President Macron travel to Moscow prior to or after a next meeting of President Trump and President Zelensky at The White House in Washington DC.
Advantage Macron.
