Emmanuel Macron called on Tuesday, March 5, in Prague, Ukraine's allies to "not be cowardly" in the face of a Russia "that has become unstoppable", ensuring that he "takes responsibility" for his controversial comments on the possibility of sending Western troops into this country at war.

“If every day we explain what our limits are” in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin who “has none and launched this war, I can already tell you that the spirit of defeat is there lurking,” warned the French president during his visit to the Czech Republic.

“I fully accept” the “strategic leap for which I called”, he insisted during a press conference, believing that “the clarity” of his words was “what Europe needed” .

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Press conference by President @EmmanuelMacron and the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, from Prague.

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— Élysée (@Elysee) March 5, 2024

At his side, the Czech President, Petr Pavel, gave him his support.

“I am in favor of exploring new options, including a debate on a potential presence in Ukraine,” he agreed.

“Strategic ambiguity”

A satisfaction which contrasts with the trouble sowed by Emmanuel Macron when on February 26, at the end of an international conference in Paris, he mentioned a "strategic ambiguity" so that Moscow knows that everything will be done to prevent it from " win this war."

He then explained that sending Western soldiers to Ukraine could not "be ruled out" in the future, even if he recognized that there was no "consensus" at present.

But from the United States to Germany, including the vast majority of other allies, leaders have succeeded one another to distance themselves from the French president's remarks and assure that there was no question of sending soldiers on the ground. Ukrainian, offering an image of division in the Western camp.

Read also Troops in Ukraine: Emmanuel Macron causes surprise and consternation among the allies

Vladimir Putin warned of a “real threat” of nuclear war in the event of escalation.

“We do not want an escalation, we have never been in cobelligerency,” the French president responded remotely from Prague.

But he also felt that Europe was entering a moment "where it would be appropriate not to be cowardly", as a warning to its Western allies.

“We never want to see the tragedies that come”, but “we will have to live up to History and the courage it implies”, he warned in the morning to the French community.

At a time when he increasingly seems to want to impose his leadership in supporting Kiev and the standoff with Russia, Emmanuel Macron will also sign with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala a 2024-2028 action plan for the bilateral strategic partnership.

Purchasing ammunition outside the EU

The French Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense will bring together their counterparts from other European countries which support Ukraine, Thursday March 7, by videoconference to examine avenues for strengthening military support, we learned from sources on Tuesday. diplomatic.

Emmanuel Macron must then go to Ukraine by mid-March.

Among these options on the table is a Czech initiative to buy ammunition outside the European Union, due to the current shortage which complicates the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield, and then deliver it to them.

As early as mid-February, Petr Pavel had mentioned some 800,000 munitions which could be sent to Ukraine "in a few weeks" if the necessary financing (1.5 billion dollars, according to the Financial Times) was gathered.

Long reserved, Emmanuel Macron announced last week that his country would participate in this initiative but without quantifying its contribution, unlike other states such as the Netherlands which have promised 100 million euros.

Despite the hopes of the Czech authorities, the French president did not provide an amount on Tuesday and limited himself to reiterating his support for this “extremely useful” mechanism.

The contribution was to be discussed at ministerial level.

He also said he was "entirely in favor of the proposal to tax the income" from frozen Russian assets, which represents "three to five billion" euros per year, "within the legal framework" of the law. international.

On the economic level, his visit also aims to support the candidacy of the French electricity group EDF which aims to win the market for a Czech civil nuclear program which could include the construction of up to four reactors.

With AFP

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