UN takes aim at Macron's remarks of sending troops to Ukraine amid war
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The United Nations has issued a cautious advisory urging restraint in the use of provocative language concerning the war in Ukraine.
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Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, speaking at a press release in 2022 (UN)
The UN has urged against the use of provocative language concerning the war in Ukraine, as stated by the official representative of the organization's Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, during a briefing in response to an inquiry about remarks made by French leader Emmanuel Macron.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Monday the formation of a new coalition aimed at providing Ukraine with extended-range missiles and ammunition. He emphasized that the possibility of deploying Western ground forces to engage in combat in Ukraine should not be dismissed.
In response to a query about whether the UN views Macron's language as escalatory, Dujarric said, “Since the beginning of this conflict, we have seen a lot of rhetoric that has the potential to fuel the fire in an already deadly conflict.”
“Our call to avoid such rhetoric has been consistent from the very beginning. We have been talking about this since the beginning of the conflict,” he said.
Unwavering support for Ukraine
Last Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that his country's support for Ukraine "will not waver."
"Battered and bruised, but still standing. Ukraine is fighting for itself, for its ideals, for our Europe. Our commitment at its side will not waver," he wrote in a post on X marking the second anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine.
A separate statement from Macron's office touted the European Union's support for Kiev, including accepting refugees, offering civil and military aid, and imposing additional sanctions against Moscow.
"President Putin's Russia must not count on any fatigue from Europeans," the statement said.
"France is also committed to continuing its support on all fronts, including the supply of military equipment, cooperation between defence industries through the development of co-productions, training, intelligence and civilian aid," it added.
"The outcome of this war will be decisive for European interests, values and security."
The French pledge of support came as other key Ukrainian allies renewed their commitment to assisting Kiev.
In the same context, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also confirmed on Saturday that authorities have imposed sanctions on 55 individuals and 37 legal entities against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
"We stand unwavering in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity... Today the Australian Government has imposed further targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 55 persons, and targeted financial sanctions on 37 entities," Wong said in a statement.
"We have also sanctioned targets in Russia's defence, energy, media and minerals sectors, as well as targets involved in Russia's procurement networks in Belarus, Iran and North Korea," she added.
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