Macron considers two options for sending troops to Ukraine, says Ukrainian MP
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French President Emmanuel Macron is considering two options for sending troops to Ukraine, one of which is to send a military contingent to the border with Belarus, European Solidarity Party deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Telegram on March 20.
This move would help free up Ukrainian troops in the area, allowing them to reinforce the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.
Honcharenko, who chairs the Migration and Refugees Committee of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, received this information from his French colleagues during the committee's meeting on March 20.
Read also: Macron warns of direct threat to European democracies if Ukraine falls
"I am in contact with my French colleagues. And I can already say that everything is serious. We are talking about the military contingent," he wrote.
Discussions on the deployment of French troops in Ukraine are indeed underway, but the number of soldiers has not yet been determined.
Macron is "very determined," he said, adding that Paris is creating a coalition of allies that will likely include Poland and the Baltic states, and possibly other European countries.
Read also: ‘We have made our position clear’: USA won’t be sending Ukraine troops, while France mulls it over
At the same time, Berlin is against the initiative, considering it an "unnecessary escalation" that could lead to global risks and direct confrontation with Russia.
The second option is a joint base for training and ammunition production in Ukraine. The exact location has yet to be determined, with two main sites in western Ukraine under consideration.
Rather than creating a separate location for the contingent, France is exploring the possibility of having smaller groups of military personnel wherever they are needed.
Honcharenko also clarified that the deployment of foreign troops would not involve their direct participation in the fighting.
Read also: If Russia wins the war, the EU will lose all credibility, especially in Eastern Europe — Macron
“The news is really sensational. It seems that France is tired of Russia. Europe is preparing to show strength."
On March 19, Macron said that fears over the possible deployment of Western troops in Ukraine were a "necessary wake-up call."
On March 19, in contrast to Macron's recent policy statements, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke out against the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.
On Feb. 26, Macron said that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future should not be ruled out. Several NATO countries publicly rejected the idea of sending troops to Ukraine in response to Macron's statements, including Poland, the United States, Germany, Czechia, Canada, and the UK.
We could not guarantee that our country's military would not be sent to Ukraine in the future, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on March 3.
Western countries should discuss the idea of sending troops to Ukraine and stop drawing "red lines" in terms of assistance to Kyiv, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said.
Read also: Ukrainian FM Kuleba on deploying Western troops to Ukraine: Macron meant military training
NATO countries should consider all options to help Kyiv, the Netherlands’ Defense Chief, General Onno Eichelsheim, said.
European NATO member states have been studying the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine for weeks, AFP reported, citing a source.
French troops could be sent to Ukraine to protect certain frontiers and participate in exercises or ground air defense, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Feb. 28.
He ruled out the participation of French soldiers in battles "directly on the front line."
On March 18, Daily Mail reported that former UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace did not rule out the possibility that British troops may have to fight in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that when Macron spoke of sending Western troops to Ukraine, he was referring to training the Ukrainian military.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
