According to Reuters citing its anonymous sources, the French leader Emmanuel Macron got Canada to exempt Airbus and other aerospace companies from sanctions against the Russian giant.
Macron influenced Trudeau on the issue of lifting anti-Russian sanctions
According to an insider from the entourage of the French president, it was the head of the republic who made "significant efforts" to convince the Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, to make an exception for European companies.
An anonymous journalist source also added that many messages were conveyed at all levels.
Large-scale diplomatic and industrial pressure was used to resolve this issue.
Macron discussed the issue during a conversation with Trudeau on March 29 ahead of a visit by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who also raised the issue during his stay in Canada, the report said.
According to journalists, at least one other EU country contributed to Macron's lobbying efforts, but it is still unknown who it is.
Canada tried to ignore French pressure
Insiders say that Justin Trudeau's team initially did not give in to Macron's persuasion.
However, it later reversed its decision, granting exemptions to Airbus and other companies. The Ukrainian ambassador criticised this decision.
It was not easy to get the sanctions lifted. I think that if the French government had not raised them (these requests. — ed.) constantly at such a level, we would have held on quite firmly, — said an insider in the Canadian political community.
Journalists note that the Macron and Trudeau administrations declined to comment, while Airbus maintains that it "complies with all applicable sanctions related to Russia."
