French President Emmanuel Macron says ‘all options are possible’ in Ukraine, although the current situation doesn’t require them
Emmanuel Macron warned Western powers against showing any signs of weakness to Russia as he reiterated his position that sending Western troops into Ukraine shouldn’t be ruled out.
The French President admitted, however, that today’s situation doesn’t require it.
In an interview on French national television TF1 and France 2 on Thursday, Macron was asked about the prospect of sending Western troops to Ukraine, which he publicly raised last month.
His comments prompted pushback from other European leaders who stressed they had no plans to do so.
“We’re not in that situation today,” he said, but added that “all these options are possible.”
Macron, who is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, declined to describe in which situation France would be ready to send troops. He said the responsibility for prompting such a move would lie with Moscow: “It wouldn’t be us,” adding that France would not lead an offensive into Ukraine against Russia.
But he also said: “Today, to have peace in Ukraine, we must not be weak.”
Macron described the Russia-Ukraine war as “existential” to France and Europe.
“If war spread to Europe, it would be Russia’s sole choice and sole responsibility. But for us to decide today to be weak, to decide today that we would not respond, is being defeated already. And I don’t want that,” he said.
Macron’s televised interview comes after the French parliament debated the country’s Ukraine strategy this week.
Both the National Assembly and the Senate approved in symbolic votes the 10-year bilateral security agreement signed last month between Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Macron said he would work on bringing further support to Ukraine at a meeting scheduled on Friday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin.