French President Emmanuel Macron said that if the Russian army goes “too far”, he does not exclude his country from intervening in the war in Ukraine, reported Le Figaro. However, he expressed hope that this scenario will not come to that.
The French leader, who has already expressed a willingness to send troops to Ukraine at some point, was asked today if France would go to war with Russia. “I hope we will not have to go to war,”, Macron said.
„Ukraine was invaded by Russia and at some point we must be able to dissuade Russia from moving forward. In Ukraine, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that country are threatened. But the rule of law, our common rules, are also at risk. If we allow this in Ukraine... the law of the strong, then we cannot be safe. This is happening 1,500 kilometers from us," Macron also said.
„France is not a military power, but a peace power. But if we want peace, we must keep it. That is why we must arm ourselves and must be able to dissuade our opponents at times. They must know that if they go too far and threaten our security and interests, we can intervene, Macron said.
The French leader called on EU and NATO countries to supply more weapons to Kiev. He pointed out that Western countries should also be ready to “act” if at some point the Russians go too far.
The full-scale war that Russia launched unprovoked against Ukraine in February 2022 is now in its third year. The NATO alliance has indicated that it will not send its troops on the ground. Kiev also emphasizes that it wants weapons, not Western soldiers. Macron did not specify what “too far“ and under what scenario the French army will intervene directly. According to analysts, this will happen if Kiev and Odessa are in immediate danger.
Je réponds à vos questions sur l’Europe. pic.twitter.com/fT7AnXed6w
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 11, 2024