Macron does not rule out deploying troops in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he does not rule out the possibility of sending a French military contingent to Ukraine.

Politico reported on this.

Speaking to journalists during an emergency summit in Paris on February 26, Emmanuel Macron departed from the hitherto unequivocal statements of Western leaders about the non-participation of their military in the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

“At the moment, there is no agreement on an official, authorized deployment of ground troops. But in the future, nothing should be ruled out. We will do everything we can to ensure that Russia does not win this war,” Macron told reporters after an emergency summit in Paris on the evening of February 26.

He noted that there are currently no specific plans to deploy troops, but emphasized that such a possibility should be part of a policy of strategic ambiguity to show Russia that Western countries are ready to take decisive action.

“Many of the people who say ‘never’ today are the same people who said two years ago: “Tanks, never, airplanes, never, long-range missiles, never.” Let me remind you that many people around this table said, “We offer sleeping bags and helmets,” and today they say: “We need to work faster and harder to provide missiles and tanks,” the French President emphasized.

However, during the summit, after the French President’s statements, representatives of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden stated that they were not considering sending their troops to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also emphasized that the alliance has no plans to send troops to Ukraine.

Criticism from the opposition

However, President Macron’s statements about sending French troops to Ukraine did not gain support among French politicians and were criticized by the local opposition.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon stated that deploying troops in Ukraine would “make us belligerents.” Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, also criticized the statement.

“I don’t know if anyone realizes the seriousness of such a statement,” said Marine Le Pen.

On February 27, France revised its policy regarding the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine and supported the Czech Republic’s initiative regarding the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine from non-EU countries.