French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed support for Donald Trump’s diplomatic outreach to Russia over Ukraine but calls for the United States backing if European troops are deployed as a security guarantee.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the White House on Monday, Macron underscored the importance of ensuring a stable and enforceable agreement.
“We want a quick deal but not a fragile one,” he stated.
Macron, who attempted to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine in 2022, noted that past negotiations lacked sufficient security guarantees, leading to their failure.
“In 2014, our predecessors negotiated peace with President Putin, but because of the lack of guarantees and especially security guarantees, President Putin violated this peace,” Macron explained.
He stressed the importance of maintaining deterrence to uphold any future agreement. While he has considered deploying French troops to Ukraine, he insisted that US backing remains crucial.
“A lot of my European colleagues are ready to be engaged, but we do need this American backup, because this is part of the credibility of the security guarantees,” he said.
Both Trump and President Joe Biden have ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine, with Trump pushing for Kyiv to sign a deal granting the US access to its mineral wealth. However, Macron cautioned against ruling out military presence entirely.
“I think we should never say I will never send boots on the ground, because you give a blank check to violate any type of commitment,” he warned.
AFP
