Emmanuel Macron Photo: Stephanie Lecocq / Reuters
At a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., French President Emmanuel Macron explained the conditions under which European troops could be deployed to Ukraine. According to him, this will happen only after a lasting peace is achieved and a relevant agreement is signed between Kyiv and Moscow, with the United States and Europe acting as guarantors.
“In the past, the possibility of deploying troops during a military conflict was seen as a factor of strategic uncertainty. Now, when we talk about troops, we mean their deployment after a stable peace is achieved,” Macron said.
France and the United Kingdom have been developing a plan to deploy military units to Ukraine in recent weeks. According to Macron, this contingent will not take part in hostilities and will not be deployed on the front line or in the occupied territories. The main goal is to demonstrate support for Ukraine and ensure compliance with the peace agreement.
“We are ready. This deployment will be exclusively peaceful and will guarantee the preservation of the peace achieved. Several European and non-European countries have already expressed their readiness to join these efforts,” the French President explained.
Macron also said that this initiative was supported by US President Donald Trump, who said that during his talks with Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader did not object to such a scenario.
“President Trump assured us of his support in very clear terms. Moreover, in bilateral talks with Russia, this initiative was considered acceptable,” Macron said.
According to him, such an agreement will create a new reality in Europe, which will be a serious signal to deter aggression. “If Russia violates these agreements, it will mean a conflict not only with Ukraine, but also with all the countries that are guarantors of peace,” he concluded.
Earlier, Donald Trump said that he had discussed the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine with Vladimir Putin, and the latter did not object.
