Not Humiliating Putin Is a Legitimate Objective, but Talking About It As Macron Did Is a Mistake

This must remain secret and not be said publicly.

In early June 2022, Emmanuel Macron signed a statement saying that “Vladimir Putin should not be humiliated”. This may seem strange in wartime. When Hitler invaded Poland in a very similar way, would a head of state have been concerned not to humiliate him? The European chancelleries would have deplored a guilty naivety.

When an aggressor attacks you (or…