Mark Leonard and senior policy fellow and head of ECFR´s Paris Office, Tara Varma, sat down in Paris to talk about how Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine is affecting France and the French presidential race. In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and facing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they discussed such questions as: what kind of role did foreign policy play in the election campaigns before Russia's invasion of Ukraine and what role is it playing now? Have we seen candidates change their positions on Russia and Putin? And will Emmanuel Macron’s approach to European politics and defence policy help him win another term as president? This podcast was recorded on 9 March 2022. Further reading: • EU defence facing Russia: Eastern European security after the invasion of Ukraine by Kristi Raik: https://buff.ly/3pxKLB8 • How Russia’s war on Ukraine is shaping the French presidential race by Mathilde Ciulla and Amandine Drouet: https://buff.ly/3suVZZ0 • A certain idea of Europe: How the next French president can lead by Susi Dennison and Tara Varma: https://buff.ly/3sSqybg Bookshelf: • “Anéantir“ by Michel Houellebecq