A new survey has revealed that nearly two-thirds of the French public believe that NATO, U.S. President Biden, and Ukrainian President Zelensky bear some responsibility for the increasingly escalating armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
The survey, carried out by Harris Interactive for RTL, revealed that while 96% of the French public stated Russian President Putin is to blame for the conflict, the percentage who said NATO, Biden, and Zelensky were, at least in part, responsible for the war stood at 68%, 62%, and 57%, respectively.
Voters from France’s national Right and anti-liberal Left were most likely to agree that NATO, Biden, and Zelensky bore some responsibility for the conflict, according to the figures.
Of those surveyed, more than nine in ten respondents reported feeling solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with this feeling being the highest among supporters of anti-liberal Left-wing party La France Insoumise, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and lowest among supporters of anti-liberal Right-wing party Reconquête, led by Éric Zemmour.
The poll also established that 84% of French men and women believe the West cannot negotiate with the Russian premier, with nine in ten characterizing Putin as “dangerous” and “worrying.” Furthermore, another majority—nearly two-thirds—disagreed that President Putin’s actions were driven by mental illness and irrationally; instead, agreeing with the statements that asserted the Russian leader “knows what he is doing” and is “intelligent.”
Additionally, two-thirds of survey respondents supported the actions taken against Russia by the West following the conflict’s onset, including leveling economic sanctions, freezing assets, exclusion from international sports competitions, and even cutting off diplomatic relations with Russia.
Concerning President Macron’s handling of the conflict, well over half (59%) of the French public reported being supportive of the actions he’s taken thus far. Comparatively, other candidates fared less well in the minds of French men and women, with 24% of respondents reporting Mélenchon has responded appropriately, while 28%, 27%, 21% felt the same way about the responses of Marine Le Pen, Valérie Pécresse, and Éric Zemmour, respectively.
The latest opinion poll, conducted late last month—a little over a month before the first round of presidential elections are set to take place—revealed incumbent candidate President Macron sits comfortably in the lead, with 25.5% of the vote. Trailing behind Macron by a considerable margin are Èric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen, both of whom are polling at 16%.
