He calls for greater European integration and cooperation in European and international security matters
“I don’t rule anything out, because we have someone in front of us who doesn’t rule anything out,” declared President Emmanuel Macron in an interview on Thursday, May 2, with the British weekly “The Economist.” It is a long interview in which President Macron particularly returns to issues concerning international security and defense. He insists on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. In his opinion, “we were undoubtedly too hesitant to formulate the limits of our action in the face of someone who no longer has limits and who is an aggressor” as the Russian army continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine. “We must not rule anything out because our goal is that Russia can never win in Ukraine,” the French president insisted.
“If the Russians break through the front lines and there is a Ukrainian demand – which there is not at the moment – then this matter will legitimately have to be discussed,” continued President Macron, again stating the possible outline of a such interventions… “To exclude it a priori means that the lessons of the two years of war have not been learned”. NATO first ruled out sending tanks and planes before finally changing its mind.”We would be wrong in terms of credibility, deterrence towards the Russians if we ruled out this possibility, Macron insisted… I emphasize, he added, that the aggressiveness of the Russians’ response to my words demonstrated the desired effect. They understood that, in effect, they were being told, “Don’t think we’re going to stop if you don’t.” More broadly, the French president calls for greater European integration and cooperation in international security matters. “We don’t have to prepare to protect ourselves,” insisted Emmanuel Macron.
