Hillary Clinton has criticized Emmanuel Macron’s policy towards Russia – the French leader should take it as a compliment

If the warmongering American chastises you for seeking diplomacy, you know you’re doing something right

Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English.

Former US Secretary of State, First Lady, Senator, and failed presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, passed through Paris last week, and seized an opportunity to chastise French President Emmanuel Macron on his own turf.

Clinton was interviewed on state broadcaster Radio France by Christine Ockrent – the journalist wife of former French foreign affairs minister, Bernard Kouchner – who asked about Clinton’s view of Macron’s recent controversial remarks. “We must not humiliate Russia so that the day the fighting stops, we can build a way out through diplomatic channels,” Macron had told the French regional press. “I am convinced that it is the role of France, to be a mediating power.” Clinton replied: “When we say that we don’t want to humiliate Russia, quite frankly, that seems a bit outdated to me. Putin crossed the red line a long time ago.” Clinton added: “I think the ultimate success would be defeating Putin. And in this, I can only agree with what President Zelensky and his government are asking for, that is, a total withdrawal from the occupied territories in Ukraine.”

Clinton perfectly captures the ideological mindset that plagues the Washington foreign policy establishment. We’re a far cry from the statesmanship and realpolitik foreign policy realism of her predecessor, former diplomat Henry Kissinger. He recently told the Davos World Economic Forum that peace in Ukraine should be negotiated within two months and should involve leaving the newly-seceded territories in the East, whose Russophone populations have suffered years of Kiev-led attacks and harassment, under the control of their pro-Russian authorities.

Clinton embodies the prevailing “us versus them” thinking on foreign policy matters. Everything is viewed through the narrow lens of the interests of a precious few American elites, with little care for what might be best for the average American citizen, let alone those of other nations, including Washington’s allies.