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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will not rule out sending French troops to Ukraine if the situation deteriorates and Kyiv requests aid. 

In a recent interview with The Economist, Macron expressed his commitment to support Ukraine as tensions escalate with Russia’s continued battlefield advancements. “If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today, we would legitimately have to ask ourselves this question,” he stated.

When asked if he still stood by his comments earlier this year about sending Western troops to Ukraine, Macron said, “Absolutely. As I said, I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out.”

 Addressing the potential consequences of Russian victory in Ukraine, Macron elaborated on the strategic stakes involved. “If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe,” he argued, pointing out the domino effect that could jeopardize the security of neighboring countries such as Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, and others. He stated, “I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine.”

In contrast, reactions from European allies have varied. Following a February meeting with 20 European leaders, Macron revealed the lack of consensus on military intervention, though he maintained that “nothing can be ruled out.” Meanwhile, the United States has ruled out deploying ground forces to Ukraine, a commitment made by President Biden.