Former French president: Ukraine joining EU wouldn’t bring peace to Europe

France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy has warned against adding Kiev to the European Union, saying such a move would not bring peace to the continent.

Speaking to France 5 TV broadcaster on Wednesday, Sarkozy, who is opposed to Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO, reiterated calls for a compromise between Moscow and Kiev, noting that the conflict had already claimed the lives of virtually half a million people, most of whom Ukrainian.

“But we continue because in the Boulevard Saint-Germain they are very brave in terms of sending young Ukrainians to die,” he said, referring to the street that has been synonymous with fiery political debates among French intellectuals.

While denouncing Russia as an “aggressor” in the conflict, Sarkozy said he believed if Ukraine were to join NATO and the EU – which Kiev’s rulers have been seeking for the past years – it would not lead to peace. “Because if you bring Ukraine into Europe, you strengthen American Europe as the Eastern European countries are dominated by the US.”

According to Sarkozy, while Kiev essentially pursues Washington’s schemes due to its heavy reliance on the White House, the same is not true for relations between Washington and Paris. “France has a unique voice… and does not align itself with American interests.”

Sarkozy reiterated that he wanted France to support Ukraine. However, he said he believed Ukraine should eventually remain neutral and continue to serve as a “bridge between the Slavic world of Russia and us.”

“We cannot continue to wage war by simply saying: ‘More weapons, more deaths, more resistance.’ How do you get out of this?”

He claimed that the Ukraine conflict only benefits China, which, he said, is gaining clout by courting its partners in the BRICS economic group, and the US, which is profiting from arms sales and higher prices for liquefied natural gas.

Last week, Sarkozy suggested that any compromise with Moscow would involve recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, a statement that triggered outrage in Kiev.

In this regard, an aide to Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky said Sarkozy’s proposal was a “criminal” suggestion. Mikhail Podoliak accused the ex-French president of complicity in the “genocide and war” targeting Ukraine.

Previously, Sarkozy had suggested Russia’s campaign in Ukraine could be ended by holding fresh referendums in the Russian-speaking territories.