- Macron's New Defense Strategy: Ground Troops in Ukraine to Deter Russia?

French President Emmanuel Macron. Bertrand Riotord/MAXPPP/dap/picture alliance

An interview with French President Emmanuel Macron has reignited the debate on the possible deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine. “If the Russians break through the front lines and if Ukraine asks for it – which is not currently the case – then we would rightly have to ask ourselves this question,” Macron said in an interview with the British Economist magazine published on Thursday. He made it clear that his main concern was deterrence against Russia.

“Our credibility also depends on a certain ability for deterrence, by not revealing what we will or will not do,” Macron continued. He reaffirmed his original statement on the topic that he did not want to “rule anything out.” “I don’t rule anything out because we’re dealing with someone who also doesn’t rule anything out,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron’s admission: the West was “too hesitant” with arms deliveries

The French president claims that Western states had been “too hesitant” in the past when they refused to deliver tanks and aircraft to Ukraine. “We were wrong in terms of our credibility and our deterrence against Russia,” Macron emphasized.

Russia’s aggressive response to his remarks on the deployment of Western ground troops showed that this stance had already taken effect. “I wanted to achieve this strategic ambiguity, which should make it clear to Putin that we are determined,” he stressed.

Hungary warns of imminent world war if NATO ground troops are deployed

There was a “worried” reaction from Hungary to Macron’s statements on Thursday. “If a NATO member deploys ground troops in Ukraine, this would be a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, leading to the third world war,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó told LCI.

Macron reaffirmed his willingness to consider France’s nuclear deterrence as part of European defense. “If we want to build a credible concept for a common defense, the nuclear weapon must be included in considerations, with the known limits of its use,” Macron said. In this way, he claimed that duplications or escalations could be avoided, “which are unnecessary if you have these capabilities,” he added. However, he does not consider it necessary to “communalize” such capacities.

Macron emphasizes: no doubt about US guarantees

What’s more, he did not want to “raise any doubts about US guarantees,” said Macron. He saw the German proposal for a European missile shield as a contribution to “Europe’s strategic awakening.” This also included Poland’s willingness to station NATO nuclear weapons on its territory.

“We Europeans need to come to the table to create a coherent framework,” Macron stressed. The aim should be to establish a security guarantee for every European state. Non-EU members such as the United Kingdom and Norway should also be involved.

Macron warns: Europe must act more decisively to avoid death

Macron painted a grim vision of Europe’s future last week and called for more decisive action. “Our Europe could die,” he said in a keynote speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris. His renewed initiative to strengthen common European defense was welcomed by German politicians.