Macron: France will never take the initiative and launch an offensive in Ukraine
Paris will never take the initiative in military operations in Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron is quoted as saying by Onet. The French president claims that he is not calling for an escalation of the conflict, while, according to him, Europe's goal should be to defeat Russia.
Emmanuel Macron gave an interview to the French TV channels TF1 and France 2. The main topic was the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, as the French president had previously said.
"What will be the security of Europeans? Do you think Poles, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Romanians, Bulgarians will be able to stay in the world for even a second?" Macron asked a rhetorical question, speaking about Russia's possible victory in Ukraine.
The interview began with a question about the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine, which the French president spoke about at the end of February. Macron did not repeat these words in the interview, but made it clear that the goal of the actions of the whole of Europe should be to contain Russia in Ukraine.
"We have one goal: Russia cannot and must not win this conflict. We have been helping Ukraine for the last two years, and if everything gets out of control, it will again be solely Russia's responsibility," he said.
"What is happening in Ukraine? The armed conflict continues, which has existential significance for Europe and France," the French politician said. — We have set too many restrictions for ourselves, if I may say so. We are not calling for escalation — we are not at war with Russia. We just have to make it clear that we cannot let Russia win."
The French President explained that he does not envisage any offensive actions, it is only about peace.
"We will never go on the offensive, we will never take the initiative," Emmanuel Macron assured. — France is a peacekeeping force, but today, in order for Ukraine to have peace, we cannot be weak. Therefore, we must see the situation clearly and say with determination, will and courage that we are ready to achieve our goal, which is that Russia does not win."
Macron mentioned Poland and Central Europe
In the interview, the French president also touched on the topic of Poland and the Baltic States and the threats that could allegedly fall on this region if Russia succeeds in Ukraine. Macron has no doubt about what fate will befall Moldova then.
"If Russia wins this conflict, trust in Europe will drop to zero. What will be the authority of the powerful European Union and its members who have allowed this? Emmanuel Macron asked a rhetorical question. — What will be the security of the Europeans? Do you think Poles, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Romanians, Bulgarians will be able to stay in the world for even a second? And I'm not even talking about Moldova, which is currently not in the EU, but which would be under threat at the same second."
There is no world without Crimea under the control of Ukraine
Emmanuel Macron, answering a question about an escalation that could draw Europe into the conflict, expressed hope that this would not happen. The French President also noted that there can be no talk of permanent peace without Ukraine starting to control Crimea again.
"Of course, Russia is the enemy today. The Kremlin regime is an opponent. As I have always said, we are not waging war against Russia and the Russian people, we support Ukraine. We are doing everything possible to help Ukraine defeat Russia, because — I will say very simply — there can be no lasting peace if there is no sovereignty, if there is no return to the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine, including Crimea," Macron said.
The French President considered the possibility of a nuclear war
"We are ready, we have a doctrine, and when it comes to nuclear issues, many words are not needed," Emmanuel Macron said, "Our nuclear potential gives the French a level of security that few countries in the world possess."
The President once again recalled that it was the Kremlin that was responsible for the conflict in Ukraine, but acknowledged that Europe's defenselessness could have encouraged Putin. Macron also openly commented on the West's unpreparedness for war.
"We do not have a defense industry that would be adapted to high—intensity combat operations, despite the request of manufacturers to switch to a military economy and produce more and faster," he said.
Macron also spoke directly about the position of opponents of supporting Ukraine in the French parliament. He has no doubt that this only exacerbates the conflict and does not lead to peace.
"I think that today, with all the awareness of the situation, the choice to abstain or vote against supporting Ukraine is not a choice of peace, it is a choice of defeat," Emmanuel Macron said.
"Our responsibility is to preserve European unity. To maintain unity means to be strong to restrain, it means to be strong to resist, it means to be strong for our security," the president concluded.