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Macron proposes France nuclear shield extension, Ukraine troop deployment

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(From left) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France's President Emmanuel Macron embrace after a meeting in London on Sunday. Photo: AFP

The French president addressed the nation amid concerns over Trump’s upending of US-Europe ties

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced he would discuss extending France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners and raised the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to enforce a peace deal, as Europe scrambles to respond to Donald Trump’s upending of the transatlantic alliance.

In an address to the nation, Macron said that the French were “legitimately worried” about the start of a “new era” after Trump began his second stint in the White House by reversing US policy on Ukraine and risking a historic rupture with Europe.

“I want to believe that the United States will stay by our side but we have to be prepared for that not to be the case,” he said bluntly.

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Trump has made clear his desire to swiftly end the war caused by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine through direct negotiations with Moscow.

But Macron offered a stark picture of Russia’s aggressive behaviour, which he said does “not seem to know borders” after its invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia has become, at the moment I am speaking to you and for the years to come, a threat to France and Europe,” he said. “It would be madness to remain a spectator in this world of danger.”

“Who can believe that this Russia of today will stop at Ukraine?” he asked. “Russia has become a threat for France and Europe.”

But he warned Trump that “peace cannot be agreed at any cost” and there cannot be a ceasefire that is “too fragile”.

Ahead of an EU summit Thursday on rearming the continent, he stressed the need for “new budget choices and extra investments” to boost defence spending in France.

Meanwhile, Macron said he would open a debate on extending France’s nuclear deterrent to other European nations, following a “historic” call from likely next German chancellor Friedrich Merz on extending that umbrella of protection.

“I have decided to open up the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent through our nuclear deterrent,” he said, while adding that any decision on nuclear weapons use would remain with the French head of state.

He also reaffirmed that European military forces could be sent to Ukraine if a peace accord was signed to ensure that Russia does not invade its neighbour again.

A peace agreement for Ukraine would be backed “perhaps, by the deployment of European forces”, Macron said.

“They won’t go to fight today, they won’t go to fight on the front line, but they would be there once a peace deal is signed, to guarantee it is fully respected,” he said.

He added European chiefs of staff would meet in Paris next week to discuss how to support Ukraine after a peace deal.

Both Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer held separate talks with Trump in Washington last week, followed by Zelensky who was subjected to an excruciating public dressing-down by Trump and his US Vice-President J.D. Vance.

But Zelensky appears to be seeking to lower the temperature after Friday’s White House bust-up with Trump where the US president accused the Ukrainian leader of not wanting peace and “gambling with World War III”.

Zelensky on Tuesday called for a “truce” in the sea and sky as a first step to ending the three-year war with Russia, echoing an idea evoked by Macron at talks in London hosted by Starmer at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Macron is mulling a joint visit to Washington alongside Zelensky and Starmer, the French government spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Sophie Primas did not give dates for such a visit, which she said could take place in the “short term”.

The presidency then sought to dampen expectations saying no new visit by Macron to Washington was being considered “at this stage”.

In the initial phase following the February 2022 Russian invasion, Macron repeatedly held telephone talks with President Vladimir Putin. But their last such contact dates back to September 2022.

Coincidentally, Macron after his address met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Elysee. Orban is an admirer not just of Trump but also Putin, and has repeatedly broken a united EU front on Ukraine.

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Politics

PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.

According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.

Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.

Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.

The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.

The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.

According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.

It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”

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Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed

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A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.

Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.

Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.

He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.

The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.

Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.

He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.

“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”

However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.

It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.

On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.

Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.

The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.

He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”

He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.

Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.

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Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary

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The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.

According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.

The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.

Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.

Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.

APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.

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