Macron follows up

Ground troops for Ukraine: “Don’t rule anything out!”

Macron is considered one of Zelensky's closest allies.

(Bild: AFP/Dimitar DILKOFF)

Despite criticism, French President Emmanuel Macron is sticking to his position of not ruling out the deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine. According to the French President, it would be wrong to rule out such a deployment in principle, especially with regard to deterring Russia.

 "If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request - which is not the case today - then we should justifiably ask ourselves the question," Macron said in an interview with the Economist newspaper published on Thursday.

However, ruling this out from the outset would mean failing to learn the lessons of the past two years of war. 

"As I have already said, I am not ruling anything out because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out," said Macron - obviously with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin in mind. "We were undoubtedly too hesitant when we formulated the limits of our trade with someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor." Macron emphasized that it was also about not revealing everything that will or will not be done. Otherwise, the Western states would only weaken themselves.

Statement caused a stir
Macron had initially not ruled out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine at the end of February. Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz then rejected the idea of sending Western soldiers to Ukraine. Macron has now made it clear once again why he believes strategic ambiguity is necessary: "If Russia wins in Ukraine, we will no longer have security in Europe."

We should not rule anything out, because our goal is that Russia never wins in Ukraine.

Emmanuel Macron

Bild: AP

Who could guarantee that Russia would stop there, he asked. "What security would there be for other neighboring countries, Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and so many others?" He concluded: "We should not rule anything out, because our goal is that Russia never wins in Ukraine."

End of war not in sight
Meanwhile, the US Director of National Intelligence considers it unlikely that the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine will end soon. Russia is likely to continue its aggressive tactics, Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee. It has stepped up its attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure in order to prevent the government in Kiev from moving weapons and troops to the front. In addition, arms production is to be hindered.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than two years. Due to faltering supplies of ammunition and weapons, but also increasingly due to a lack of soldiers, the defenders have found themselves on the defensive over the past six months.

Russians are advancing further and further
Following the loss of the small fortified town of Avdiivka near the regional capital of Donetsk, which has been controlled by pro-Russian forces since 2014, the front has begun to move. While it was previously a matter of gaining a few hundred meters of ground, the Russian troops have since occupied several other villages. Most recently, there was a breakthrough through Ukrainian defense lines near Ocheretyne.