Macron says Russia’s defeat in Ukraine is crucial for European security

French President Emmanuel Macron said defeating Russia in Ukraine was key to Europe’s security as he urgently called for more weapons from Kiev.

Speaking in Paris, he said European leaders had agreed to create a coalition to provide Ukraine with medium- and long-range missiles and bombs.

He added that “there is no agreement” on sending Western troops to Ukraine, but “nothing should be ruled out.”

The Russian military recently increased its military strength in Ukraine, which faces a major arms shortage.

Kiev relies heavily on supplies of modern weapons from its Western allies, particularly the United States, to continue fighting Russia, a much larger military with an abundance of artillery.

But approval of the much-needed $95bn (£5bn) US aid package faces an uphill battle in the House of Commons.

Last weekend, Ukraine’s defense minister said that half of Western aid to Kiev had been delayed, costing lives and territory.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin is now in its third year, and there are no signs that Europe’s biggest war since World War II will end anytime soon.

Monday’s Ukraine aid crisis meeting was attended by European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and senior government officials, including British Foreign Minister David Cameron.

Delegations from the United States and Canada also attended.

“I am convinced that the defeat of Russia is essential for the security and stability of Europe,” President Macron said.

Describing Russia as “the only aggressor,” he said, “We are not at war with the Russian people. We just don’t want them to win.”

Macron announced that the coalition would provide Ukraine with “medium- and long-range missiles and bombs to carry out deep strikes.” He did not say when such weapons would be delivered.

He also did not rule out the possibility of sending Western ground forces to Ukraine, but acknowledged that disagreements remained between the allies.

“Today, there was no agreement to deploy troops on the ground in the manner officially envisaged and approved,” he said. “But in terms of dynamics, nothing should be ruled out. We will do everything to ensure that Russia does not win this war.”

“It should not be ruled out that there may be a security need to justify some elements of implementation,” he added. “But I have communicated very clearly what position France maintains, and it is a strategic ambiguity, which I support.”

Earlier, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said his country had no intention of sending troops to fight in Ukraine.

Reuters reported that he responded to comments by Slovakia’s Robert Fico, saying: “I can confirm that there are countries that are ready to send their troops to Ukraine, but they definitely will not. “There are some countries, including Slovakia,” he said. Some countries argue that the proposal should be considered. ”

“Everything we do together to protect against Russian aggression will bring real security to our country for decades to come,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who also participated in Monday’s meeting via video link. said.

Russia has repeatedly warned that if Western countries send troops to Ukraine, it could spark a direct conflict between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance.