
President Emmanuel Macron’s call for Europe not to rule out sending troops to Ukraine to defeat Russia marks a turning point in France's decades-long "unhealthy fascination" with the country and its strongmen, argues journalist Elisa Vidal. So what's been driving the charm?
“Yes I admire Vladimir Putin,” announced far-right leader Marine Le Pen in 2017 as she posed alongside the Russian president in the Kremlin.