French President Emmanuel Macron despatched shockwaves throughout Europe after suggesting every part, together with sending floor troops, was on the desk in Ukraine’s struggle towards Russia.
Macron had hosted a convention of European leaders Monday – simply over two years to the day after Russia invaded Ukraine – in search of to rally larger assist for Kyiv, which faces rising battlefield challenges and dwindling munition shares.
He painted a grim image of Russia beneath President Vladimir Putin, arguing there had been a “change of posture” even within the final months that had seen a hardening of its stance each domestically and in Ukraine.
“Nothing can be excluded to pursue our objective: Russia cannot and must not win this war,” Macron mentioned after the convention gathering leaders together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda that ended with a midnight press convention.
While there was “no consensus” on the sending of Western floor troops to Ukraine, “nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war,” Macron added.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov provided a muted preliminary response on Tuesday, saying that sending Western troops to Ukraine was “absolutely not in the interests of these countries, they should be aware of this.”
‘Can’t rule out something’
Macron had refused to say extra about France’s place, citing the necessity for “strategic ambiguity” however saying the problem was talked about, “among the options.”
“We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is indispensable to security and stability in Europe,” Macron mentioned.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, accused by critics of being too cozy with Moscow, mentioned after the assembly that there was disunity on the problem on the assembly.
“There are countries that are ready to send their own soldiers to Ukraine, there are countries that say never – Slovakia is among them – and there are countries that say that this proposal should be considered,” he mentioned.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, which is ready to hitch NATO, poured preliminary chilly water on the thought, saying “it’s not on the cards at all for the moment.”
“For the moment, we’re busy sending advanced (military) equipment to Ukraine,” Kristersson mentioned.
Macron was criticized at dwelling by the occasion chief of the far-right National Rally Jordan Bardella who accused the president of “losing his cool” by elevating “the specter of a committing of our troops against a nuclear power.”
But French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal Tuesday reaffirmed Macron’s feedback, saying “you can’t rule anything out in a war.”
Not in West’s curiosity
In his preliminary response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned Tuesday that sending troops to Ukraine was not within the pursuits of Western nations.
“This is absolutely not in the interests of these countries, they should be aware of this,” Peskov mentioned after being requested about Macron’s assertion, including that many nations “are keeping a fairly sober assessment of the potential dangers of such actions.”
“The very fact that the possibility of sending some contingents from NATO countries to Ukraine is being discussed is a very important new element,” he mentioned.
He famous that the Kremlin was “well aware of Mr. Macron’s position on the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.”
Asked if the looks of NATO troops in Ukraine would result in a direct confrontation between the alliance and Russia, Peskov mentioned: “In this case, we need to speak not about a possibility but of the inevitability” of confrontation.
“And these countries need … to ask themselves if (confrontation) is in their interests and, mainly if it’s in the interests of the citizens,” he mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com