What lies behind Macron's announcement of sending troops to Ukraine?

The European leaders' summit on Ukraine in Paris concluded on February 26 with calls for continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, but without any concrete measures being proposed.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at a press conference at the Elysée Palace in Paris on February 26, 2024. (Source: AP)

The landlord's shocking proposal.

It seemed as though the conference, which concluded on February 26th, would proceed and achieve results similar to some peace forums on Ukraine in 2023 and early 2024. However, a truly shocking proposal emerged from the host country's President, Emmanuel Macron: the head of the Elysee Palace wanted to send NATO troops to Ukraine if the army of President Zelensky's government lost the war.

Immediately after this conference concluded, Macron's Western counterparts, such as Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, almost unanimously announced that they would not deploy combat troops to Ukraine.

And so, Paris's proposal was publicly rejected by most NATO countries. Even Washington, which had been the strongest supporter of Kyiv since the conflict began, declared it would not send troops and strongly advised other countries against doing so.

Faced with strong public accusations, Macron himself had to offer typical defenses of words that were "taken out of context" and "misinterpreted."

To support his superiors, on February 28, French Defense Minister Lecornu explained that the practical meaning was not to send professional military units but only to other supporting activities, such as ensuring cybersecurity and demining... French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne also frankly stated: "France will not send troops to Ukraine to participate in the fighting" and "French soldiers will not die for Ukraine."

However, on February 29th, President Emmanuel Macron still declared that "every word I say on this issue, every single word, has been carefully considered and weighed." Thus, the French president's statements about the possibility of sending combat troops to Ukraine were not misinterpreted and were in the correct context.

For Kyiv or the Elysee Palace?

The European elite knew full well how Russia would react to the provocative proposal from the French president. And indeed, in his State of the Union address to all deputies of the Russian State Duma and Senate on February 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Western politicians had forgotten what war is and recalled how past invasions by enemies on Russian soil had ended.

The Russian leader asserted that if the same thing happened today, the consequences for those who intervened could be far more tragic, and he strongly declared that Russia possesses weapons capable of striking targets on its own territory.

So why would Macron add fuel to the fire at a time when the conflict in Ukraine is escalating, as well as geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western countries?

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, explained that Macron's risky policies are related to maintaining personal power. According to Volodin, during his presidency, Macron "achieved nothing except the stagnation of the country's economy, ongoing massive protests, and geopolitical failures in Africa."

Russian political commentator Mikhail Tokmakov also suggested that the Paris summit was held not for Zelensky's benefit, but for President Macron's own, as his position is becoming increasingly precarious. The situation in France is currently turbulent, with numerous peasant protests erupting. This threatens the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games and could lead to a food crisis this coming winter. According to Tokmakov, Macron is employing the "old trick" of uniting the nation against an external enemy to divert public attention from the internal situation.

Adverse effects

Many observers have hinted that, in some respects, he was even successful, but in the opposite way. His proposal has made him and Ukraine unpopular with the French and many European countries, especially given the recent weakening of support for Ukraine, particularly after the defeat of the Ukrainian armed forces in Avdiivka.

Even Western experts considered the French leader's statement reckless. Many journalists from Politico accused Macron of embarrassing both Ukraine and the entire West. According to experts, Macron's words first and foremost confirmed the difficult situation of the Ukrainian army.

Furthermore, it also revealed serious divisions within NATO itself, with many Western leaders strongly rejecting their French counterpart's "initiative." Experts emphasize that Macron's recent statement demonstrates his "lack of understanding" of his Western colleagues and the public in general.

And so, the French President's proposal seems ill-timed. It has caused confusion, with uncertainty about whether it will benefit either the Parisian or Kiev governments. But one thing is clear: there will now be no multinational force coming to fight alongside the Ukrainian army on the battlefield.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dieu-gi-an-sau-tuyen-bo-gui-quan-den-ukraine-cua-ong-macron-262701.html