French President Emmanuel Macron stated in an interview released Saturday evening that there might come a time when Western military intervention on the ground in Ukraine becomes necessary.
This comes shortly after his discussions with German and Polish leaders. Last month, Macron faced criticism for not ruling out the deployment of troops to Ukraine, drawing strong reactions from Berlin and other European allies.
Despite this, Macron has not reversed his stance but clarified that Western allies would not take the lead in such actions.
Speaking to Le Parisien newspaper on Friday, Macron emphasized that while he hopes such measures won’t be needed and that he won’t initiate them, there might be a necessity to counter Russian forces through ground operations.
He asserted that France possesses the capability to undertake such actions if required. Differences regarding the potential for ground operations and the supply of long-range missiles to Kyiv had strained cooperation among the allies.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed displeasure at Macron’s earlier remarks and his call for allies to display bravery.
Macron, alongside his German and Polish counterparts, convened in Berlin on Friday, demonstrating solidarity in support of Kyiv.
Following the meeting, Macron affirmed that the three nations comprising the Weimar Triangle were unified in their determination to resist Russian aggression and stand by the Ukrainian people until the end.
