French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France, Britain, and other countries that provide security guarantees to Ukraine will not send a “large” contingent of troops. Instead, those countries could deploy several thousand troops without Russia’s permission.
In an interview with the newspapers Le Parisien and La Dépêche de Midi, the French president said that “several European and non-European countries” had expressed their willingness to participate in a possible deployment of troops in Ukraine to secure a future peace agreement with Russia.
“This could mean that each country would deploy several thousand soldiers in key locations in Ukraine to carry out training programs and demonstrate our long-term support,” Macron said.
In an interview over the weekend, he stressed that possible contingents from NATO member states could serve as a “security guarantee” for Ukraine.
“Under no circumstances can Ukrainians make territorial concessions without security guarantees,” he said.
Although Moscow is categorically against such a deployment, Macron said Russia’s permission is unnecessary.
“Ukraine is a sovereign state. If Ukraine invites allied forces to its territory, Russia has no right to accept or reject it,” he said.
According to Macron, Putin is escalating military operations and is trying to “get everything, then only negotiate.”
“Russia must respond clearly, and the pressure must be clear, together with the United States, to get this ceasefire,” the French president concluded.
