The French president calls for unity among allies and warns that Russia cannot get away with it
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has made a strong statement in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia has been invading the territory for two years. Macron has said that sending Western troops to deal with the Russian offensive cannot be ruled out and that they will do “whatever it takes” to prevent Russia from winning this war.
Macron made these statements from Paris, where he convened an international summit with several leaders and ministers of the European Union and NATO to show the allies’ support for Kyiv. The French president has acknowledged that there is still no consensus to officially send ground forces, but he has remarked that “everything is possible if it serves to achieve our objective”. “Russia cannot and must not win this war,” he summed up.
Macron warns of a possible Russian attack on Europe in the coming years
The French president has used the summit to send a warning message to Europe in the face of Russia’s growing belligerence in foreign policy. Macron has said that it is necessary to prepare for a Russian attack in Europe in the coming years, in the face of the “hardening” of the Kremlin’s position. “We must be aware of the risk we run and the need to defend ourselves,” he said.
Macron has also sent the message to Moscow that Europe will continue to support Ukraine and look for ways to advance its role in the war. In front of twenty heads of state and government, most of them European, Macron has criticized that Vladimir Putin continues to cross red lines and has referred to the escalation in hostilities also outside the military sphere, with the death of internal opposition Alexei Navalny.
European leaders show their “strength” against Russia
The Paris summit was attended by the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the Polish President, Andrej Duda, and the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, among others. All of them have staged the “strength” of the European alliance in front of Russia and have reiterated their commitment to Ukraine. “We will not give up. Russia will not win in Ukraine”, they made it clear, while analyzing that it is “European security” and not only Ukrainian security that is at stake.
The summit was held without the presence of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who was already in Paris last week and whom Macron will visit this March. The French president has said that he maintains contact with Zelenski and that he has conveyed his support and solidarity.