IRIA News

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the leaders and representatives of Ukraine’s European allies in Paris on February 26, 2024, to ‘reaffirm their unity’ and ‘determination’ to support Kyiv for its defense against Russian invasion.

Some 20 European leaders gathered in Paris to attend the conference arranged by the French President. “We are in the process of ensuring our collective security, for today and tomorrow,” Macron said as he hosted heads of state and government and other Western officials which included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British foreign minister David Cameron, Polish President Andrzej Duda as well as leaders and representatives from the Baltic and Scandinavian nations.

Macron invited his European counterparts to the Elysee Palace in Paris for a hastily arranged meeting to discuss how to ramp up ammunition supplies to Ukraine amid what his advisers say is an escalation in Russian aggression over the past few weeks.

“In recent months, there has been a noticeable escalation in Russia’s assertiveness,” remarked Macron. “We are aware of Russia’s preparations for new attacks, specifically aimed at unsettling Ukrainian public sentiment.”

Macron additionally underscored his desire to position himself as a European advocate for Ukraine, given concerns about potential diminishing support from the United States in the years ahead. Macron emphasized the urgent need for Ukraine’s allies to swiftly recompose their support.

Europe discussing sending troops to Ukraine

In a rather surprising and unprecedented revelation, Macron told reporters at the end of the meeting that “There is no consensus at this stage to send troops on the ground,” suggesting that the European leaders proposed a direct intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war. Until now, European and NATO leadership has carefully avoided intervening in the ongoing war through direct means.

“Nothing should be excluded. We will do everything that we must so that Russia does not win,” he said. A White House official, however, said that the United States had no plans to send troops to fight in Ukraine and that there were also no plans to send NATO troops to fight in Ukraine.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his opposition to providing military assistance to Ukraine, also echoed Macron’s suggestion about deploying soldiers in Ukraine. He stated that several NATO and EU members were contemplating sending troops to Ukraine through bilateral arrangements.

“I can affirm that there are nations ready to deploy their own troops to Ukraine. There are also nations, including Slovakia, which firmly oppose this idea. Additionally, there are countries advocating for a thorough consideration of this proposal,” he remarked before departing from Paris.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the leading candidate for the next NATO secretary-general position, informed reporters that the discussion about sending troops was not the primary focus of Monday’s talks.

Speaking to the leaders via video link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy echoed Macron’s caution regarding an escalation of the conflict: “We must guarantee that Putin cannot dismantle our progress and cannot extend his aggression to other nations.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the conference virtually. While speaking to the reporters about the Paris conference, Zelenskyy said that leaders in Europe had realized “how dangerous” the war was for the whole of Europe. “I think they have realized that Putin will continue this war,” he said.

Weapon deliveries

French officials said that Macron’s meeting was not an occasion to announce new weapons deliveries to Ukraine but more to brainstorm about how to be more efficient on the ground, as well as increase coordination between Ukraine and its allies.

There was an advancement on a Czech-led initiative to procure hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third-party countries, a move France has approached cautiously due to its emphasis on prioritizing the development of Europe’s market.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that about 15 countries had agreed to sign up to his initiative. “We are talking about hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition we should and could get in a relatively short time,” Fiala told reporters.