France does not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine – said Benjamin Haddad, Minister for European Affairs, who insists that President Emmanuel Macron stands by his previous statements.
Macron first raised the possibility of NATO troops being deployed to Ukraine in February, but faced significant resistance from other members of the US-led military alliance.
In an interview published on Tuesday in the German Berliner Zeitung, Haddad stated that “President Macron said that nothing should be ruled out and that remains unchanged.”
The minister added, “The West should consider especially training missions.”
When asked whether he is concerned about the potential escalation of the conflict if this scenario were to materialize, Haddad accused Russia of rejecting any diplomatic settlement attempts.
“We should stop drawing red lines for ourselves and strive to accept what we call strategic ambiguity,” he emphasized.
The minister also supported Kiev allowing the use of long-range missiles delivered from the West to hit targets deep within Russia.
In July, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that France had considered sending around 2,000 troops to Ukraine. In June, Macron revealed to journalists that Paris is working on creating a coalition that would facilitate the deployment of military trainers to support the Kiev regime. However, he claimed that “France is not at war with Russia” and that France “does not seek escalation.” In May, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticized Macron’s comments on possible troop reinforcements, warning that such “strategic ambiguity [could create] the conditions for a catastrophic explosion.”
In June, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also spoke out against the French president’s idea.
