Fear in society over idea of sending troops to Ukraine serves as wake-up call, President Macron says
French President Emmanuel Macron called public fears over the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine "a necessary wake-up call," he said on the air of TF1 Info.
"These fears are a necessary wake-up call," said the French leader, commenting on society's reaction to his initiative on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine.
According to him, democracy is under threat, so "everyone should be ready to defend France."
Moreover, French youth "must understand what the war in Ukraine is like."
"A war just 1,500 km from the borders of France is a very short distance. If Ukraine fell or we decided to leave it, the consequences would be direct for us. Because it is not known where the imperialist state would stop if it could come close to us," said Macron.
Since late February 2024, the French president has unexpectedly begun signaling that he is not ruling out the possibility of deploying foreign troops in Ukraine. On March 14, he stated that Russia would bear sole responsibility if France ultimately decides to send soldiers to Ukraine.
Later, he explained that his words should give Europe a new impetus to accelerate aid to Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assumes that the changes in Macron's rhetoric are connected with the realization of the lies of Vladimir Putin.