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French President Emmanuel Macron held secret talks with US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. It was hoped that this would influence Western attitudes towards the war against Ukraine.
During these talks, Macron advocated a policy of strategic ambiguity towards Russia, insisting on leaving all options open to the West, according to the report.
He suggested moving away from drawing clear red lines, as the United States has done in the past, to prevent situations that could lead to an escalation of war.
Anonymous officials cited by the Journal expressed skepticism about the need for Biden to change his current strategy and expressed concern that such action could lead to escalation. revealed.
Scholz also opposed the idea, fearing it would cause discord among allies and potentially drag NATO countries directly into war.
Mr. Macron outlined his position on Mr. Biden and Mr. Scholz in a February phone conversation and offered to state it publicly at the Paris summit. But Mr. Scholz warned against this, warning that Mr. Macron’s push could foster discord between allies.
The debate has recently intensified over the possible deployment of Western military personnel to Ukraine and proposals for how allies should respond if they become the target of a Russian attack.
According to U.S. officials, the Biden administration was concerned that Russia could target French troops that might send troops to Ukraine, potentially drawing France and perhaps other Western countries into the war as well.
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Citing past military operations in Africa, President Macron assured allies that France would not need support from NATO or the United States if French troops were attacked.
At the February 26 summit at the Elysée Palace, tensions rose again as President Macron shared his views on the current strategic uncertainties. Scholz and other leaders, including the Netherlands, Poland and Greece, politely rejected the idea.
However, the Estonian Prime Minister expressed support for President Macron’s position and stressed the importance of focusing on action rather than restrictions.
Despite facing considerable opposition during the summit, which failed to reach an agreement, President Macron insisted that “nothing can be ruled out” regarding the deployment of troops.
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