Macron says ‘nothing ruled out,’ including using Western troops, to stop Russia

Paris
CNN
 — 

French President Emmanuel Macron has openly discussed the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine to help Kyiv win the war against Russia, a potential major escalation to the largest ground war Europe has seen since World War II.

Though the possibility of Western democracies putting boots on the ground in Ukraine remains remote, Macron’s comments following a summit in support of Ukraine prompted a hawkish response from the Kremlin and sent European leaders scrambling to backtrack. A NATO official told CNN the alliance had “no plans” to deploy combat troops in Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who attended the meeting in Paris on Monday, said that while there was a good debate and detailed discussion on the topic, summit participants were “unanimous” in their opinion against deploying troops

Macron had told reporters at a news conference that while he and the other 21 European leaders present did not agree on deploying military personnel, the prospect was discussed openly.

“Nothing should be ruled out,” he said. “We will do anything we can to prevent Russia from winning this war.”

However, a raft of European officials came out Tuesday against such a plan. Among them were some of Ukraine’s more ardent supporters, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Spain and Italy, as well as officials from Hungary and Slovakia, two countries whose leaders have been criticized as pro-Russian.

“What was agreed among ourselves and with each other from the very beginning also applies to the future, namely that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states,” said Scholz.

Macron did, however, announce that a new coalition would be created to supply Ukraine with medium-range and long-range missiles.

“We’re at a critical moment in this conflict that requires us to take the initiative,” Macron said.

With $60 billion worth of American funding for Ukraine held up by Republicans in Congress, the burden has shifted to Europe to help arm Ukraine as it attempts to fend off a resurgent Russian military.

Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines say they are already running low on ammunition, which has cost them on the battlefield. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN in a recent interview that “millions” could die if Washington fails to supply his country with more aid.

The European Union has already committed more than $150 billion in aid to Ukraine, but sending in troops would be a drastic step, one that was unthinkable when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion two years ago.

Macron pointed out that Western democracies have gradually increased their support to levels unthinkable when the war began. He highlighted the example of Germany, which offered helmets and sleeping bags to Kyiv at the outset of the conflict and is now saying more needs to be done to supply the country with missiles and tanks.

“The people that said ‘never ever’ today were the same ones who said never ever planes, never ever long-range missiles, never ever trucks. They said all that two years ago,” he said. “We have to be humble and realize that we (have) always been six to eight months late.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that such a deployment in Ukraine would put the West in conflict with Moscow.

“In this case, we need to talk not about the likelihood, but about the inevitability of a conflict.” Peskov said. “These countries must also assess and be aware of this, asking themselves whether this is in their interests, as well as the interests of the citizens of their countries.”

Kremlin officials have made similar comments in the past. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last year that the US, the United Kingdom and many others are “waging war” against Russia and are engaged in hostilities against the country by supplying Ukraine with assistance.

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