Macron opened the door to sending European forces to Ukraine, but Moscow warned of the (European) consequences.

On Tuesday, Ukraine welcomed discussions about sending European forces to support it in the war with Russia, which warned of the consequences of that step if taken, considering that the conflict between Russia and NATO would become “inevitable” if the alliance members sent forces to fight.

Commenting on French President Emmanuel Macron's statements yesterday, in which he opened the door to sending forces from European countries to Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Ukrainian president, said, "Firstly, this shows absolute awareness of the dangers posed by Russia's military and aggression to Europe."

About 20 European leaders met in Paris on Monday to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin stating their continued support for Ukraine and countering the Kremlin's narrative that Russia will win in a war now entering its third year.

Macron announced to the conference new steps to support Ukraine in its battle against Russia, saying that it is not unlikely to send Western ground forces to achieve Europe's goal of defeating Moscow.

Macron painted a bleak picture of Russia, saying that its positions were "hardening" at home and on the battlefield.

"We are convinced that defeating Russia is necessary for security and stability in Europe," he said, adding that Moscow was showing a more aggressive stance not only in Ukraine but in general.

Macron noted that although there is no consensus on sending Western ground forces to Ukraine, nothing should be ruled out, and added, "We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war."

On the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that sending forces to Ukraine would not be in the West’s interest, in response to Macron’s statements in which he did not rule out sending Western ground forces to fight in support of Kiev.

Peskov said - during a press conference today - that sending European forces to Ukraine "would not be in the interest of those countries at all, and they must realize that," and explained that raising this possibility constitutes a "very important new element" in the conflict.

American support

While European doubts appear regarding continued American support for Kiev.

President Joe Biden is hosting talks with congressional leaders at the White House later today in an effort to release billions of dollars in urgent aid to Ukraine and avert an imminent government shutdown.

This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his country is in dire need of continued Western support to defeat Russia, and expressed his hope that the United States would approve a support package worth $60 billion.

The White House said that Biden will meet Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, his Democratic counterpart Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and opposition leader Mitch McConnell.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained to CNN, “There is a strong bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives that is ready to pass this bill.”

He added, "This decision falls on the shoulders of one person, and history will testify whether Johnson will put the bill up for discussion."

It is noteworthy that when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, American representatives overwhelmingly supported arming the pro-Western former Soviet republic, which abandoned its nuclear weapons in the 1990s after obtaining guarantees from the West regarding its security.

As the war enters its third year, Moscow launches intense attacks on the Ukrainian army, which is suffering from a shortage of ammunition due to political disagreements over aid in the US House of Representatives.

Source: Agencies