(Dan Tri) – French President Emmanuel Macron said that France has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine in the near future and he also clearly understands the red line in the relationship with Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: Reuters).
`Answering the question about whether the West will send troops to Ukraine, I said that I do not rule out any option. That does not mean that France intends to deploy forces to Ukraine in the future
`That means we are opening a discussion and are considering everything we can do to support Ukraine, first of all Ukrainian territory,` he added.
He said that at last week’s meeting, Western leaders agreed on five areas of cooperation including cybersecurity, joint military production for Ukraine, and security support for most vulnerable countries.
The French leader said: `In addition, I always understand our red line: We do not fight against the Russians, to avoid escalating tensions.`
President Macron caused a stir in recent days with his statement that the West has not ruled out sending troops to Ukraine and that these countries will do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning in Ukraine.
The statement was issued after a meeting of about 20 Western leaders to discuss options for further support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Mr. Marcon’s statement quickly attracted public attention.
Russia called the French leader’s statement dangerous and warned of the risk of a nuclear conflict if the West sent troops into Ukraine.
Of course, some Western leaders, including the Prime Minister of Estonia and the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, agree with the view that the West should consider all possible options to support Ukraine.
Amidst the controversial opinions, Mr. Macron said on February 29: `These are quite serious topics. Every word I say on this issue has weight, is considered and calculated.`
Le Monde newspaper on March 1, citing well-informed sources, said that President Macron’s administration is considering sending a small military force to Ukraine to support training, handle air defense systems and to deter Russia.
According to Le Monde, France sees the deployment of troops as a way to put Russia in a `strategic dilemma`.
