Macron urges steadfast support for Ukraine amid Russian threat

"War has returned to Europe. Powers seeking to expand their influence pose daily threats. In this situation, we must rise to the historical challenge and demonstrate the courage it demands," Macron told the French community in Prague.

At the end of February, Macron highlighted the necessity of defeating Russia to secure Europe's safety, following discussions with European states' leaders. He suggested that the possibility of deploying Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be excluded. However, he acknowledged the lack of current consensus on this matter.

The Kremlin warned of a "risk of nuclear conflict" in response to Macron's statements. The idea of sending ground troops to Ukraine was met with skepticism from the governments of Germany, Spain, and Italy. Similarly, the prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic, Donald Tusk and Petr Fiala, indicated their countries would not dispatch soldiers. A White House spokesperson informed Reuters that the United States has no plans to send soldiers or NATO military forces to engage in combat in Ukraine.