France’s political upheaval is bad news for Ukraine

It has been a bad few days for Volodymyr Zelensky. The president of Ukraine must have covered his face with his hands as he watched Joe Biden’s rambling performance against Donald Trump in last week’s televised debate. Trump’s view on Ukraine’s war with Russia are well-known: he wants an end to the conflict

Then came the results from the first round of the parliamentary elections in France. There is still a second round to play but one thing is certain: the next government will not be one of Emmanuel Macron’s choice. His political project – what he described as ‘neither left nor right’ – is dead, and so to all intents and purposes is his presidency. In office but not in power.

Instead, the next parliament will be dominated by MPs from Jean-Luc Melenchon’s left-wing coalition and Marine Le Pen’s right-wing union. They have hardly anything in common, except one thing: like Trump, they also want an end to the war in Ukraine.