(Paris) French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed, in an interview published on Saturday evening ParisianHe said that the West's ground operations in Ukraine may be necessary “at some point.”
“Maybe at some point – I don't want to, I won't take the initiative – it will be necessary to conduct operations on the ground, whatever they may be, to confront Russian forces,” he said. This interview was conducted on Friday upon his return from Berlin, where he met with the German and Polish leaders.
He added: “France's strength lies in our ability to do this.”
In the German capital, Emmanuel Macron met with Chancellor Olaf Schulz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a show of unity between the three countries.
The repeated statements of Emmanuel Macron, who refuses to rule out sending ground forces to Ukraine, have caused chaos among Paris's allies, led by Germany, and sparked the almost unanimous condemnation of the opposition in France.
In his interview with ParisianThe president ruled out any disagreement within the French-German couple over this issue. “I wanted to come to Germany very quickly so as not to spark a discussion about strategic differences that might exist: which they don’t,” he explains.
“There was no disagreement between me and the advisor. We have a very strong consensus of views on the goals and the situation. It is the way they are translated that differs,” he continues, highlighting the “strategic cultures” of the two countries.
“Germany has a strategic culture of extreme caution and laissez-faire, keeping its distance from nuclear energy,” he explains. “A completely different model from that of France, which possesses nuclear weapons and maintains and strengthens a professional army,” he said again.
The French President adds that he abandoned a trip to Kiev to go to Berlin on Friday and meet there with Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk.
He confirmed that he would meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine before mid-March, a trip that was already scheduled for February and then postponed. He now says that his visit will take place in the coming weeks.
He also emphasized the complementarities between the assistance that France and Germany can provide.
He added: “Germany spends more than France, and has more room in the budget, which is lucky.” “France can do things that Germany cannot,” he told Le Parisien newspaper, before putting Russia’s strength in perspective.
“We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We do not have a superpower facing us. Russia is a middle power that has nuclear weapons, but its GDP is much lower than that of Europe, and less than the GDP of Germany and France.”
