‘There is a risk of escalation”: a German journalist believes that Macron’s idea of sending troops has harmed Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about sending Western troops to Ukraine have greatly harmed Kyiv.

This information reported according to Paul Ronzheimer, deputy editor-in-chief of the German tabloid Bild.

“These debates, initiated at the highest level, are not only dangerous but also damaging to Ukraine at the moment, as they do not address truly important issues, such as ammunition. Talks about troops are dangerous because they increase the likelihood of escalation. Putin has long believed that he is at war with the West. And Macron, in essence, is playing into the hands of Ukraine’s opponents and diverting attention from what Kiev really needs. Considering Ukraine’s lack of military support, especially from France, Macron’s move seems like a loud distraction tactic.

If Macron’s goal in using NATO ground troops in the war in Ukraine was to “contain” Russia, Vladimir Putin is unlikely to take him seriously, as Macron does not have the majority to push for the deployment of ground troops in either the European Union or NATO. The idea that individual countries can help Ukraine with their own troops without NATO’s mandate is also extremely unrealistic. Deterrence only works if it is truly trustworthy.

With this initiative, Macron is helping all critics and opponents of arms supplies to Ukraine in Europe and in Germany. Now they can all say: listen to what Macron is saying, THIS is the goal! First, they send weapons, then they send troops! This further complicates the supply of military equipment to Ukraine, which is needed more urgently than ever due to the Russian offensive.

The absurdity lies in the fact that Ukraine does not require any Western ground troops! When I asked about this last month, the advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak, said, “In fact, there is only one scenario: maximum supplies of high-tech weapons to Ukraine. Stop talking and just focus on supplying weapons!

Macron may speak much better than German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but his own balance is not as firm and clear as it seems now. It was the French president who initially did not want to “humiliate” Putin and hindered military support for Ukraine. His grandiose statements about supplying tanks and planes often fell short of reality.

Macron’s direct attacks on Scholz over the Taurus vote and his readiness to send troops to Ukraine are also designed to divert attention from his own failures. Yes, unlike Germany, France has supplied its Scalp cruise missiles. But Macron, like Scholz, did not significantly and rapidly increase ammunition production since the beginning of the war and is far from achieving what he could and should have done when it comes to tanks and artillery, if the situation is as dramatic as he describes it,” Ronzheimer believes.

It is worth reminding that earlier, Politico wrote that Ukraine is in a “difficult position,” and the “clumsiness” of French President Emmanuel Macron has only exacerbated the situation further.