Emmanuel Macron gives a speech at the Lycee Francais school in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 5, 2024. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, March 5, urged Ukraine's allies "not to be cowardly" in supporting the country to fight off the Russian invasion. And Macron added that he "fully stood behind" controversial remarks made last week not ruling out sending Western troops to Ukraine, which sent a shockwave around Europe.
"We are surely approaching a moment for Europe in which it will be necessary not to be cowards," Macron said on a visit to the Czech Republic, which is pushing a plan to buy weapons outside Europe for Ukraine.
Read more Subscribers only Macron defends idea of potentially sending troops to Ukraine as allies distance themselves
Speaking later after meeting his Czech opposite number Petr Pavel, he asked: "Is this or is it not our war? Can we look away in the belief that we can let things run their course? I don't believe so, and therefore I called for a strategic surge and I fully stand behind that."
Most of Macron's European allies said they would not send troops to Ukraine after his comments on February 26. French officials also insisted any such forces could be sent to back operations such as de-mining rather than fighting Russian forces.
Read more Subscribers only Ukraine's Western allies already have a military presence in the country
"We want no escalation, we've never been belligerent," Macron said Tuesday. Macron was later to meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and address a nuclear forum.
At a security conference in Munich last month, Pavel said the Czech Republic – an EU and NATO member of 10.8 million people – was able to collect a substantial amount of weaponry for Ukraine outside the continent. He said that working with Canada and Denmark, the Czechs had "identified" 500,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition and 300,000 122-millimeter shells "which we would be able to deliver within weeks" given the needed funds.
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The Financial Times said Prague was looking to amass $1.5 billion to pay for the munitions for Ukraine, which has been battling the Russian invasion for two years. Fiala said at an international conference in Paris last week that around 15 nations were ready to join the initiative, including France. The Netherlands has already pledged to donate €100 million.
Macron did throw his weight behind using revenues from frozen Russian assets in Europe to fund Ukraine's defense, estimating them at €3-5 billion ($3.25 - 5.4 billion) per year, but said the capital should remain untouched. "We are not in favor of doing things forbidden in international law and opening a debate that I believe would weaken Europe," he said.
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Later on Tuesday, Macron is due to address a nuclear forum in the Czech capital, attended by several French energy companies. These include the power giant EDF, nuclear fuel distributor Orano and nuclear reactor producer Framatome. EDF is one of two bidders in a multi-billion Czech tender to build up to four new units at its two nuclear power stations, alongside South Korea's KHNP.
Macron's visit to Prague follows an invitation from Pavel during the Czech president's visit to Paris last December. That visit was shadowed by a deadly shooting in Prague, in which a student killed 14 people and then himself at Charles University. Macron, who was quick to offer condolences to his guest Pavel, will lay flowers at the site on Tuesday.
Read more Subscribers only French PM suggests 'Putin's troops are already in our country,' pointing at Le Pen