On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron gave an interview to French television in which he explained in detail his policy on the war in Ukraine in relation to He warned that if Russia wins, it will not stop in Ukraine, and emphasized that the allies should not limit their support to Ukraine.
Macron said the continent's security was "at risk", called the war "existential for Europe and France" and stressed that a Russian victory in Ukraine would "reduce Europe's credibility to zero".
E. Macron also warned allies not to limit aid to Ukraine. He said that since the Russian invasion in 2022 "there were too many limits in our vocabulary" at the beginning of February. Anyone who draws "borders" on aid to Ukraine is "choosing defeat."
Macron made the comments ahead of a trip to Berlin, where he will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday. He said Europe should not show weakness, but would do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning a war that threatens the security of ordinary French and European citizens.
Sending ground forces is not on the agenda now, Macron said, but Europe must keep "all options" open should war spread. "If Russia wins, French life will change, we will no longer have security in Europe," he said.
Mr. Macron acknowledged that talks will have to take place in the future when the war ends, but stressed that peace does not mean Ukraine's "capitulation."
"If the situation worsens, we will be ready" to prevent a Russian victory, Macron said, but added that his country would "never go on the offensive" in this war. "We will never take the lead," he said.
Acknowledging that he has spent perhaps the most hours of any other major leader talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years, Macron said the Kremlin leader cannot be trusted because he ignores boundaries and commitments.
Macron shocked Europe last month when he did not rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine. He was opposed not only by many of the Allies but also by most of the French. The survey of the newspaper "Le Figaro" showed that 68 percent does not support such an option.
However, Macron's strategy towards Ukraine was supported by both houses of parliament this week. During the vote, the far-right party RN abstained, the radical left voted against, its deputies accused Mr. Macron of "warmongering".
After an interview broadcast by TF1 and France 2 television, Macron reiterated on the X social network that Russia will not stop its territorial ambitions if it wins the war in Ukraine and will threaten neighboring countries Moldova, Romania and Poland.
"Russia has become a power that wants to expand, it is clear that it will not stop. If we abandon Ukraine, if we let Ukraine lose this war, Russia will certainly threaten Moldova, Romania, Poland," he wrote.
Viljama Sudikiene (AFP)
