Le Monde: France has secretly considered a plan to send troops to Ukraine

(Dan Tri) – Le Monde newspaper reported that the French government has been considering the idea of sending troops to Ukraine since June last year.

French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: Getty).

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on February 26 that sending Western troops to Ukraine is an option that cannot be `excluded`.

Le Monde newspaper said on March 14 that President Macron’s statement was not `an impromptu escalation` but a `strategic message`.

According to Le Monde, the idea of sending troops to Ukraine was discussed at a meeting of the French National Defense and Security Council on June 12, 2023.

Meetings of the National Security and Defense Council are highly secret and are attended by the French president, ministers and other senior figures at the president’s invitation.

Le Monde said that although President Macron initially kept an open diplomatic line with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the French leader began to notice that through phone calls, Mr. Putin `did not

Accordingly, Mr. Macron `changed direction` in June 2023 and voiced his support for Ukraine joining NATO `to send a strong signal to Mr. Putin`.

The failed counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, when the Ukrainian army was unable to penetrate Russian defenses, is said to have added urgency to the Paris discussions.

The Ukrainian army’s fight to hold back the Russian army became a `cause for concern` in the winter.

According to Le Monde, President Macron said on the evening of February 21 that `in any case, next year I will have to bring people to Odessa`.

President Volodymyr Zelensky told French television station BFMTV on March 11 that `as long as Ukraine remains in control, French troops will remain on French territory` and French soldiers `will not die in Ukraine.`

In an interview with French television channels TF1 and France 2 on March 14, Mr. Macron said the Crimean peninsula must be recognized as part of Ukraine to achieve `lasting peace` in the region.

`We are doing everything we can to help Ukraine defeat Russia, because I want to say very simply: There can be no lasting peace without sovereignty, without a return to nationally recognized borders.`

Previously, Mr. Macron affirmed that there would be `no limit` to France’s support for Ukraine and that he considered it not an escalation of tensions but a `proportionate response` by Paris to the actions of Ukraine.

After the French President’s controversial statement, Russia warned that if the West sent troops into Ukraine, it would be considered a declaration of war against Russia and could lead to a nuclear conflict.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev declared that Russia has `no more red lines` in its responses to France.