Maybe “needed at some point”
Macron sticks to ground troops statement
March 17, 2024, 1:11 a.m
When French President Macron brought up the involvement of Western ground troops in the Ukraine war, it caused irritation, and Chancellor Scholz in particular immediately distanced himself. Now there was a meeting in Berlin, but that doesn’t seem to have changed Macron’s stance on the issue.
French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated his controversial statement about the possible deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine. In an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien, Macron said that perhaps “on-the-ground operations” would be necessary at some point “to counter the Russian forces.” But he didn’t want that and wouldn’t take the initiative, he added.
Macron first said at the end of February that sending Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out. His statement was met with irritation and rejection by many allies – including the federal government. The French government later explained that this did not mean combat units.
“Almost no” disagreements with Berlin
At a meeting of the so-called Weimar Triangle in Berlin two days ago, Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed, among other things, to immediately procure more weapons for Ukraine on the world market. Scholz and Macron in particular emphasized their unity in supporting Kiev after the disagreements of the past few weeks. There will be no solo efforts, said Macron.
In his interview with Le Parisien, Macron assured that there were almost no differences of opinion between Paris and Berlin on the issue. Scholz and he agreed on the assessment of “the goals and the situation” in the Ukraine war, only the wording was different, explained the French President and referred to the different “strategic culture” of the two countries. Germany’s strategic culture is characterized by “great restraint, non-interference and distance from nuclear power.” France, which has nuclear weapons and a strong professional army, represents a “completely different model.”