Macron: Troop Deployment “Not Ruled Out” if Russia Breaks the Front Line in Ukraine

France’s Emmanuel Macron is still considering the possibility of deploying French troops to Ukraine.

In an interview with The Economist posted on May 2, the French President stated that such a scenario is feasible if “Russia breaches the front line” and Ukraine requests assistance. Macron emphasized that in such a situation, “we will need to discuss it.” To exclude the deployment of troops would mean “not learning the lessons of the past two years”.

“I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,” Macron stated when questioned about his previous remarks earlier in the year, which caused significant concern across Europe.

Analysts speculate that Russia might be on the brink of launching a major offensive in Ukraine.

Macron stated, “If Russia decides to escalate further, we will all inevitably have to consider this question” regarding the deployment of troops. He described his reluctance to dismiss such action as a “strategic wake-up call for my counterparts.”

He characterized Russia as “a force for regional destabilization” and “a threat to European security.”

“My strategic objective is clear: Russia cannot emerge victorious in Ukraine,” Macron asserted. “If Russia succeeds in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe.”

Kyiv has not requested Western troop deployment to Ukraine but has instead sought increased arms supplies to bolster Ukrainian forces in defending against Russian aggression.