French President Emmanuel Macron defended his controversial stance on the possibility of deploying Western troops to Ukraine, emphasizing the gravity of the situation despite widespread criticism, Politico reported Thursday.
Speaking during a visit to the 2024 Olympic village near Paris on Thursday, Macron reaffirmed his deliberate choice not to rule out the option of sending troops, despite facing backlash domestically and internationally.
"These are sufficiently serious issues; every one of the words that I say on this issue is weighed, thought through and measured," Macron said. However, he declined to take further questions from reporters.
Macron's remarks followed comments he made earlier this week after a conference on supporting Kyiv, where he asserted that although there was "no consensus" on officially dispatching ground troops, no options were off the table.
Macron's stance diverged from the positions held by other NATO allies, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, who have rejected the idea of military intervention in Ukraine. Nevertheless, Estonia and Lithuania refrained from outright dismissal of the notion.
In response to the uproar, French officials attempted to contextualize Macron's remarks, suggesting that potential Western involvement could encompass activities such as demining and arms production rather than direct military deployment.
Macron's position elicited a warning from the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, who drew historical parallels, cautioning Macron against a military incursion akin to Napoleon's ill-fated campaign into Russia in 1812.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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