French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that a potential European military force he envisions being deployed to Ukraine as part of a peace deal could “respond” to Russian attacks, a scenario that would risk nuclear war.
“If there was again a generalized aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack, and then it’s our usual framework of engagement,” Macron said after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris.
“Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it,” Macron added.
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been pushing hard for the deployment of a European force to Ukraine to enforce a ceasefire despite Russia’s repeated rejection of the idea.
Macron is hosting representatives of about 30 nations in France on Thursday to discuss the proposed force, although there are signs the idea is falling out of favor among other European leaders.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that European efforts to provide future security guarantees are shifting away from the idea of deploying troops due to the opposition from Russia and the lack of support from the US.
“They are taking a step back from ground troops and trying to re-dimension what they were doing to something that could be more sensible,” one European diplomat told Reuters.
Another diplomat said, “When Ukraine was in a better position, the idea of sending troops appealed. But now, with the situation on the ground and the US administration as it is, it’s not very sexy.”
