French President Emmanuel Macron met with parliamentary parties on Thursday. During the meeting Macron said he was open to the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, as announced by, according to French newspaper L’Independant.
Fabien Roussel, a representative of the French Communist Party, said after the meeting that “Macron referenced a scenario that could lead to intervention [of French troops]: the advancement of the front towards Odesa or Kyiv.”
He noted that the French President showed parliamentarians maps of the possible directions of strikes by Russian troops in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally party noted that “there are no restrictions and no red lines” in Macron’s approach.
Manuel Bompard of the La France Insoumise party expressed increased concern after the meeting. “I came to the meeting worried and left even more worried,” he said.
The possibility of Western ground troops in Ukraine was also discussed at a conference in Paris on Feb. 26, when Macron told the press: “Currently, there is no consensus on sending troops. But in this matter, nothing should be ruled out in the future.”
He added: “We will do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning this war.”
During discussions, the President of Poland Andrzej Duda noted that the “hottest discussion” revolved around the idea of troop deployment, although no definitive decisions were made. In response to questions about other countries considering troop deployment, Duda mentioned a lack of enthusiasm among participants.
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Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico ruled out the participation of Slovak soldiers in Ukraine, but assured that his government would respect the decisions of other EU and NATO countries.
Macron previously urged Ukraine’s allies not to hesitate in supporting the country against the Russian invasion, emphasizing the need to live up to history’s expectations of bravery.
“We are surely approaching a moment for Europe in which it will be necessary not to be cowards,” Macron said during a visit to the Czech Republic.
Despite Macron’s comments, most of his European allies indicated they would not send troops to Ukraine. French officials also clarified that any potential forces sent would likely support operations such as de-mining rather than direct combat with Russian forces.