Poking at Macron, FM says 'French people will not die for Ukraine'
3 Min Read
France's Defense Minister says that if deployed to Ukraine, French troops would only participate in non-combat missions.
-
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne during a United Nations session in New York, on January 23, 2024 (AFP)
Contradicting an earlier statement made by President Emmanuel Macron, France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said there are no intentions to send French troops to Ukraine as part of efforts to support Kiev in the war.
In a statement that caused public outrage and negative international reactions, mainly by Kiev's allies, Macron said earlier this week that sending European troops to Ukraine "should not be ruled out."
"We will do anything we can to prevent Russia from winning this war," he said on Monday.
"The framework has been set, which is to prevent Russia from achieving victory without engaging in war with it."
However, taking a swing at Macron, Sejourne clarified, "French people will not die for Ukraine. We will not send troops for combat."
The French Foreign Minister had claimed earlier that the presence of French troops in the Eastern European countries is for "non-combat tasks," highlighting that the activity of Western military members in Ukraine does not indicate taking part in the war with Russia.
Controversy and disunity
On his part, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, "This is not a war with Russia," noting that, if sent to Ukraine, French troops would participate in de-mining efforts and training, among other missions, and would stay away from the frontline.
"Saying 'do not rule anything out' is neither a sign of weakness nor implies escalation," Lecornu said.
The French President's comments signaled intentions for greater Western involvement in the war in Ukraine, but his unilateral position on the matter was considered to be undermining the unity among Western allies.
Read more: Scholz fears complicity if Germany supplies Kiev with Taurus missiles
The White House and several European countries, including Germany and Poland, swiftly distanced themselves from the idea of sending troops to Ukraine, and the Kremlin warned of inevitable conflict if such a move were made.
Further revealing Macron's isolated stance, chief of NATO Jens Stoltenberg told the AP that there are “no plans for NATO combat troops” on the ground.
One EU source told Reuters that Macron’s comments were "a cacophony between allies, at the expense of credibility."
Another French source told the agency that if the West stayed on its current course of merely donating arms and aid, "we will comfort President Putin in his impression that we are weak."
"In reality, we're taking a big risk with that game for all of us in Europe, which is to see Russia win," the source said.
