Macron’s words have caused a stir among European allies

French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine if needed, words that have raised eyebrows among European allies. Several governments, including Spain, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, have distanced themselves from the French leader and rejected the possibility of sending their troops to fight in the country invaded by Vladimir Putin. While Austria has shamed Macron for his controversial statements, Germany has made it clear that sending European or NATO troops is not on the negotiating table.

France had never mentioned this option and this is the first time that sending troops to Ukraine has been so openly debated by European countries. In the two years of war, NATO members have supplied billions of dollars of arms and ammunition to Kiev and trained Ukrainian forces, but Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have consistently insisted that the military alliance Wants to avoid direct conflict. Russia, which could lead to global war.

This Monday, shortly after the commemoration of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, due to uncertainty over Western support and difficulties at the front, many pointed to the meeting of more than twenty European heads of state and government convened by Macron in Paris. About the situation on Ukrainian territory.

Once the summit ended, Macron said in a press conference that “there is no consensus today” on sending ground troops to Ukraine but warned that nothing could be left in place in the future, and by example But given that two years ago no one was thinking about sending military aircraft. Fight Kiev. “Today there is no consensus on sending troops on the ground in an official, accepted and supported manner. But in a dynamic context, nothing should be ruled out. The French President declared, “We will do everything possible to ensure that Russia does not win this war.”

Macron said, “Russia’s defeat is inevitable for the security and stability of Europe,” and indicated that in the face of increased Russian aggression on Ukrainian soil and against the rest of European allies, “he cannot wait to respond.” and assumed “measured ambiguity” about sending troops.

It was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, considered a Putin supporter, who said that NATO and several EU members were bilaterally considering the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. “I will limit myself to saying that this thesis (in preparation for the Paris meeting) means that many NATO and EU member states will bilaterally consider the possibility of sending their troops to Ukraine,” he said on Monday. are doing.” “I can’t say for what purpose and what they should do there,” he said, adding that Slovakia, a member of the European Union and NATO, will not send troops to Ukraine.

Many countries reject the possibility of sending troops

A day after attending the conference in Paris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has assured that the possibility of sending European or NATO troops to fight in Ukraine is not on the table. Scholz emphasized that there is “consensus” that this principle will remain in place “into the future.” He said, “What we agreed upon together and between us will remain in force in the future, that there are no ground troops, that there are no troops on Ukrainian soil that have been sent by European or NATO states.” “It is important to ensure this again and again, and the fact that this has been agreed is, from my perspective, a very, very good and very important progress.”

Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegría talked about the possibility expressed by Macron in the press conference after the Council of Ministers. “We do not agree and we also have to focus on what is urgent, i.e. expediting the delivery of material,” he said.

For his part, Austrian Foreign Minister, conservative Alexander Schallenberg, has criticized the French President for sparking a debate about sending troops from European countries to Ukraine. Schallenberg said that what is needed at this time is a “diplomatic perspective”, that is, finding a negotiated solution to the war started by the Russian invasion two years ago, and assured that the statement made by Macron “is in line with are” counterproductive to efforts to achieve a peace settlement.

“It is clear that there was no consensus on this yesterday in Paris (…) and it is quite surprising when you bring an issue on which there is no consensus and thus create such a debate. That’s something we don’t really need,” the representative said. Austria, which has been a neutral country since 1955, but has declared itself a firm ally of Ukraine since the Russian invasion, and unlike other European countries, extends its assistance to humanitarian, civilian and financial assistance to the invaded country. Has limited.

As historically neutral Sweden prepares to join NATO, the Nordic country’s prime minister has refused to send troops to Ukraine, declaring that the issue is “not relevant at all.” Ulf Kristersson has said that, although he respects “France’s desire to help Ukraine”, Sweden will go its own way. He said Macron could debate whether France would send troops to Ukraine, but not the Atlantic alliance. “If a country sends troops to another part of the world it has no impact on NATO.”

The governments of Poland and the Czech Republic have also rejected the transfer of their troops to Ukraine this Tuesday. “Poland is not considering sending the bodies of its military to Ukraine. We should not speculate about this,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters in Prague after a meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala. The head of the Polish government has assured that “the most effective help for Ukraine is to increase military spending,” so that Russia can see that “it is confronting countries capable of taking action.” Fiala, for his part, said: “We are not considering sending troops, but rather we want to develop the lines of assistance already open against aggression, so that (Ukrainians) can defend themselves, and the Putin regime. “Objectives not met. Undermined.” Comply.”

On the same lines, Hungary, a country which maintains the position of not providing arms to Kiev, has assured that it will not send troops to the country attacked by Putin. “We heard and saw the news about last night’s meeting in Paris. “Hungary’s position is clear and firm: we are not willing to send weapons or troops to Ukraine,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on the social network Facebook.

NATO sources have told EFE that they have no plans to send combat troops to Ukrainian territory. “NATO and its allies are providing unprecedented military assistance to Ukraine. We have done this since 2014 and intensified it after the massive attack on Russia. But there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine,” the sources say.

Kremlin talks of “inevitable” conflict

Russia’s reaction to Macron’s words was not long in coming. The Kremlin, whose rhetoric during the invasion of Ukraine has been that it is fighting not just against a neighboring country’s army but against the Western war machine, this Tuesday called direct conflict with NATO “inevitable” if the allies Deploy troops to Ukraine.

“In that case we are no longer talking about the possibility, but about the inevitable nature (of a conflict with NATO),” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during his daily telephone press conference. He has said that the Atlantic alliance countries should “assess” whether conflict with Russia “is consistent with their interests and the interests of their people.”