Philosopher and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy is one of the committed friends of Ukraine in the French intellectual and political elite. As an intellectual and writer, Lévy has influenced several recent French presidents, including the current head of state, Emmanuel Macron.

Lévy is a profound, sincere and long-time supporter of Ukraine. 

Sergiy Sydorenko, European Pravda's editor, discussed with him Macron's historic decisions. It's not just about the potential deployment of French troops to Ukraine.

Watch our latest video, or read the full interview in the article – "We are in the middle of World War III, but European leaders are denying reality, as in the time of Hitler."

I would say there is real sympathy for Ukraine in French public opinion.

I think the real majority of the French people endorse Ukraine’s cause and support the cause of the truth.

France is pro-Ukraine, that's true. But France was not prepared to the extent of the support which was recently expressed by Macron.

To be 100% with Ukraine, to be ready for any hypothesis, to stop with the American ways of expressing things with no co-belligerency, not authorising Ukraine to use the weapons for this or for that, delivering some weapons but being sure that they will not be targeted at Russia.

Macron decided to bypass all of that and to express real, strong, strategic support.

My president said that France considers that this war – your war – is our war.  That it is a common war. That you, Ukrainians, are fighting not only for your motherland, but really for Europe as itself. And that we, French people, have to be ready for any hypothesis.

President Macron is among those who have understood that you have to give nothing to the beast.

If you give a little, the beast will always want more.

Before these statements of President Macron, there was an unclear consciousness that this war could concern us directly. Not many felt really threatened by Russia.

One of the virtues of the position of President Macron is that suddenly it became clear.

France is opening its eyes right now.

We have European elections in a few weeks. Suddenly Macron decided to have his party going into battle on the topic of Ukraine, on the topic of European security.

I have never seen that!

I believe that Russia will hesitate more now about attacking a NATO country.

Russia – like all dictatorships – is strong when we are weak. It advances when we withdraw.

Putin has said various times that he would not stop with Ukraine. He said that at the Valdai conference a few times.

There are two phrases that I cannot hear any longer.

The first is "as long as it takes". The second is "incremental support".

Something has moved in Europe. France has changed the game for the other European countries too. Because Macron took a sort of leadership.

It turns out that European countries, more and more, one after the other, are aligning themselves with the French position.

We are in the middle of World War III, with Russia, with Iran, with China, with North Korea, with Israel and Hamas endorsed by Putin, with the great alliance between radical Islamism and Russian Orthodoxy.