Emmanuel Macron recalled the objective of not letting Russia win in Ukraine and assured that “everything is possible” to achieve this goal, including sending French troops. But for now nothing is official.
“We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war.” Emmanuel Macron has stated the objective of French commitment to Ukraine, which has been at war for two years. And the head of state said he was ready to deploy “whatever is necessary” and “as long as is necessary” to achieve this. Including armed forces troops? “There is no consensus today to send ground troops in an official, assumed and endorsed manner. But dynamically nothing should be excluded,” he responded on the evening of Monday, February 26, at the end of the international conference in support of Ukraine.
Emmanuel Macron therefore opens the door to the possible sending of troops to Ukraine, ensuring that this “was mentioned among the options”, but he did not clearly state France’s position on this issue and assumed a “strategic ambiguity”. Still, the simple fact of mentioning the option, which had never before been considered by France, is already a first step in this direction. The position of the President of the Republic was supported by the Prime Minister who this Tuesday February 27 from the Agricultural Show also considered that “we cannot exclude anything in a war” which is taking place “in the heart of the Europe”.
The sending of ground troops is still a matter of debate among Ukraine’s allied countries, as indicated by the President of the Republic. Some reluctance could be explained by the fear of entering into open war against Russia, but on this point Emmanuel Macron wanted to reassure and remind that Ukraine’s allies are “not at war with the Russian people” , their only mission is “not to let him win in Ukraine.”
France has always been clear about its position towards Russia and its participation in Ukraine’s war effort, saying it supports the country without becoming a belligerent in the conflict. By sending armed troops, the head of state would reverse this posture, unless the troops deployed in Ukraine are made up of instructors rather than soldiers intended to go to the front. Emmanuel Macron did not give details on the profile of the troops that could be sent. In any case, the President’s statements are “extremely precise and extremely rare” explains geopolitics specialist and former colonel Peer De Jong on franceinfo: “Europe had never committed, at least verbally, in this way – there. […] We see that France is taking the lead in this kind of construction game, at least of a defense Europe.” For him, Emmanuel Macron’s speech is a “message clearly addressed to the Russians”.
Would France be prepared to send armed troops to Ukraine without a similar military commitment from other European countries allied with Ukraine? The Head of State did not decide and simply recalled that within Europe “each country is sovereign, its armed force is sovereign, […] no one can commit another country to do what is right for him.” However, he considered that in this “war which determines our future” as Europeans, the countries of Europe and therefore France must play their part.
Emmanuel Macron’s statement did not go unnoticed and did not fail to provoke a reaction from his competitors in the last presidential election. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the first, opposed the possible sending of French troops to Ukraine. “Sending troops to Ukraine would make us belligerents. War against Russia would be madness. This bellicose verbal escalation of a nuclear power against another major nuclear power is already an irresponsible act,” he said. judged on X considering it necessary to seize Parliament so that it opposes the maneuver. And the rebel added: “It is high time to negotiate peace in Ukraine with mutual security clauses!”
Marine Le Pen also got carried away with of war, but it is the lives of our children that he speaks about with such carelessness. It is peace or war in our country that is at stake.”