After the ground troops scandal
Macron: “Never had any trouble” with the Chancellor
March 17, 2024, 1:11 a.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
When French President Macron brought up the involvement of Western ground troops in the Ukraine war, Chancellor Scholz immediately distanced himself. After the two met, Macron tried to dispel doubts about the unity of the allies. But he doesn’t want to rule out ground troops.
Despite recent differences over Ukraine’s course, French President Emmanuel Macron does not see himself in a conflict with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “There has never been any trouble between the Chancellor and me. We have a lot in common in terms of goals and the situation,” Macron told the newspaper Le Parisien after the Berlin meeting with Scholz. “Only the way they are translated is different because the strategic cultures of our countries are different.” Germany has a culture of great caution and non-intervention, while France has nuclear weapons and has maintained and expanded a professional army.
The meeting with Scholz two days ago, which was followed by a three-way conversation with the new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, followed a Ukraine conference organized by Macron three weeks ago, which ended in a scandal. While Macron did not publicly rule out sending ground troops for the first time, Scholz contradicted him several times in the following days and said he would not send Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukraine. Macron told “Parisien” that he then suggested a meeting with Scholz two weeks ago. “I wanted to come to Germany very quickly so that there would be no debate about supposedly existing strategic divergences: they don’t exist.”
“Maybe at some point” operations on site
On the question of ground troops, Macron continued to insist on his position even after the conversation with Scholz. “Perhaps at some point it will be necessary – I do not wish it, I will not initiate it – to have operations on the ground, whatever they may be, to counter the Russian forces. The strength of France is that we can do that,” said the President. “Our duty is to prepare for all scenarios.” It would be a mistake not to do this. “Incidentally, I am convinced that in some of these scenarios, anyone who is capable of doing so with their model would assume their responsibility.” The French government has since clarified that the ground troops statement was not about combat units.
Macron told Le Parisien that the West should not allow itself to be frightened by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Putin cultivates a discourse of fear. We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated because we are not dealing with a great power,” said Macron. Despite differences, after the three-party summit in Berlin, Germany, France and Poland vowed to stand together in supporting Ukraine in its defensive battle against Russia.