Ukraine war: Macron stands by comment to send troops to front lines if Russia advances, warns Europe of ‘hidden Brexiteers’
- During an Economist interview, Macron said ‘I’m not ruling anything out’, when asked if he stood by comments about potentially sending Western troops to Ukraine
- Macron also described Russia as ‘a power of regional destabilisation’ and ‘a threat to Europeans’ security’
French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview with the Economist published on Thursday.
The Economist said Macron gave the interview after delivering a keynote speech last week when he declared that Europe is “mortal” and could “die” partly due to the threat posed by Russian aggression after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,” said Macron when asked if he stood by comments earlier this year not excluding the sending of Western troops that sent shock waves around Europe.
Some analysts believe that Russia could be on the verge of launching a major new offensive in Ukraine.
Macron said “if Russia decided to go further, we will in any case all have to ask ourselves this question” of sending troops, describing his refusal to rule out such a move as a “strategic wake-up call for my counterparts”.