French President Emmanuel Macron Doubles Down On Not Ruling Out Sending Troops To Ukraine

During a recent televised interview, French President Emmanuel Macron doubles down on not ruling out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine.

Macron shared, “If Russia were to win, the lives of French people would change.”

The French President shared ruling out any measures, such as sending boots on the ground in Russia, is “opting for defeat.”

Macron’s comments were met with criticism from other Europeans who are not interested in sending troops into Ukraine.

Hawkish French President Emmanuel Macron is refusing to back down on the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. https://t.co/lm14gu7Sdv

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) March 14, 2024

Check out what Politico reported:

French President Emmanuel Macron doubled down on refusing to rule out sending troops to Ukraine during a 30-minute, prime-time television interview on Thursday in which he once again presented the war in Ukraine as an existential threat.

“If Russia were to win, the lives of French people would change,” Macron said. “We would no longer have security in Europe.”

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The interview, aimed at shifting French public opinion in favor of his strategy of strategic ambiguity, began with reporters from French broadcasters TF1 and France 2 asking Macron to clarify his statements from February in which he refused to rule out sending Western ground troops to Ukraine. The comments caused an uproar both at home and abroad, and prompted France’s top NATO partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, to clarify that they would not be sending troops.

Macron responded by arguing that setting any limits on how to respond to Moscow’s actions meant “opting for defeat.” The French president spent much of the interview arguing in favor of remaining ambiguous, saying only that France would not “lead the offensive or take initiative.”
“I’m right about not being specific,” Macron said.

Macron refuses to rule out NATO deployments in Ukraine, reiterating that Paris is ready to make any “decisions necessary to prevent Russia’s victory” – and noting that he sees no opportunities for a peaceful resolution at this point.

Macron is going to start World War 3. pic.twitter.com/OBvYkHok3A

— Scott Smialkowski (@ScottSmialkowsk) March 15, 2024

Per Euro News:

The French president 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.”

'French public opinion does not appear to support Macron. In an Odoxa poll, 68 percent of French respondents said Macron's comments on Western troops in Ukraine were "wrong."'https://t.co/2TrzDM7FuU

— Johanna Ross (@shottlandka) March 15, 2024