French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the U.K. and France will be sending a delegation to Ukraine to discuss using French and British troops to secure Ukraine in the wake of a peace deal. Not all member states agreed with the move, but Macron said that as this would be a British-French initiative, there is no need for unanimous consent.
Macron’s announcement came after the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris to discuss Ukraine, the sixth such meeting in two months. The French president reiterated to reporters Europe’s collective support for the war-torn country, despite Hungary continuing to stand apart from the other 26 member states. Euractiv quoted Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson as saying, “The simple conclusion is that we are right, and Hungary is wrong.”
Macron also met personally with Zelensky before the summit, committing €2 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Aside from matters surrounding defense and Ukraine, greater EU competitiveness was also discussed, including member states working together on cutting bureaucracy and integrating capital markets.
After the summit, Macron told reporters that while acknowledging the efforts for peace on the part of U.S. President Trump, the EU will not allow for the “stories and untruths pushed by Russia,” which he says completely “reinvent what has happened these last three years.”
He also lamented the complete lack of certitude surrounding any real peace negotiations due to their being “three distinct statements all saying very different things. There is an American-Ukrainian statement, an American-Russian statement, and a Russian statement, each different from the previous.”
Europe, he said, will therefore continue forward on its own to push for a fair peace for Ukraine.
As Remix News previously reported, Russia has warned the West against sending troops to Ukraine, specifically after Macron previously stated that French troops would be sent to defend the country last year.
Last year, Macron said “nothing could be ruled out” when it came to sending French troops to Ukraine, with the announcement sparking fierce debate across Europe. Macron went so far as to call on fellow NATO allies to not be “cowards.” Many European leaders reacted harshly to Macron’s statements, including several nations stating plainly they would not send any of their own troops to participate in the conflict.
