Despite criticism, French head of state Emmanuel Macron continues to insist that he will not rule out the deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine. According to the French president, it would be wrong to rule out such an operation in principle, especially with a view to deterring Russia.
“If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there was a Ukrainian request – which is not the case today – then we should rightly ask ourselves that question,” Macron said in an interview with the Economist newspaper published on Thursday.
But ruling this out from the outset would mean that no lessons are learned from the past two years of war.
“As I have already said, I am not ruling anything out, because we are dealing with someone who is not ruling anything out,” Macron said – referring, of course, to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. “We were undoubtedly too hesitant in defining the limits of our trade against someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor.” Macron emphasized that it was also about not revealing everything one would or would not do. Otherwise, the Western states will only weaken themselves.
The statement caused an uproar
Macron initially did not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine at the end of February. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz subsequently refused to send Western soldiers to Ukraine. Macron has now made it clear again why he believes strategic ambiguity is necessary: “If Russia wins in Ukraine, we will no longer have security in Europe.”
Who could guarantee that Russia would stop there, he asked. “What security would there be for other neighboring countries, Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and so many others?” He concluded: “We should not rule anything out, because our goal is that Russia never wins in Ukraine.”
There is no end to the war in sight
Meanwhile, the US Director of National Intelligence considers it unlikely that Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine will end anytime soon. Russia will likely continue its aggressive tactics, Avril Haines tells the Senate Armed Services Committee. The country has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure to prevent the government in Kiev from transferring weapons and troops to the front. Moreover, arms production must be hindered.
Russia has been waging its war of aggression against Ukraine for more than two years. Due to slow deliveries of ammunition and weapons, but also increasingly due to a lack of soldiers, the defenders have been put on the defensive in the past six months.
The Russians continue to advance
After the loss of the small fortress-turned town of Avdiivka near the regional capital Donetsk, which has been controlled by pro-Russian forces since 2014, the front has started to move. Until then, this involved a territorial gain of a few hundred meters, but since then Russian troops have occupied several other towns. Recently there was a breakthrough through the Ukrainian defense lines at Ocheretyne.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
