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Left-wing politician Gregor Gysi

Photo: Political Moments / IMAGO

Left-wing politician Gregor Gysi sharply criticizes French President Emmanuel Macron's statements about the possible deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine.

»French President Macron can obviously no longer be saved.

If a NATO state or even several NATO states send ground troops to Ukraine, we will have World War III," said Gysi.

The suggestion is “completely out of the question.”

The evening before, Macron caused a stir by saying that he would not rule out sending Western soldiers to Ukraine.

There is currently no consensus on this, he said at the conclusion of an international Ukraine conference in Paris on Monday.

"But nothing must be ruled out in order to achieve the goal." The goal is that Russia should not win.

The deputy chairwoman of the Green parliamentary group, Agnieszka Brugger, also opposes the request.

In doing so, France is crossing a line that Germany, but also other countries such as the USA, have clearly drawn, said Brugger on “Deutschlandfunk”.

Instead, it is important to appear united in supporting Ukraine.

The Green defense expert Brugger criticized that Macron's words distracted from other important things that had been jointly decided to support Ukraine.

These included the delivery of additional weapons and the imposition of new sanctions against Russia.

The focus should be on these areas, continued Brugger.

France could also contribute more here.

CDU politician criticizes Chancellor

The parliamentary managing director of the Union parliamentary group, Thorsten Frei (CDU), also reacted negatively to Macron's statements.

Western ground troops in Ukraine are not up for debate, Frei said on “rbb-Inforadio”.

However, further arms aid for Ukraine is crucial in order to defend itself against Russia.

Frei criticized the stance of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the debate about the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles.

»It is nonsense that Germany would become a party to the war.

And it is also not true that this would make it necessary for German soldiers to be active in Ukraine," said Frei.

til/AFP