Macron vows to thwart Russian victory, underlines existential crisis for Europe

"If Russia wins this war, Europe's credibility will plummet to nothing. Can you imagine the Poles, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Romanians, and Bulgarians remaining at peace for even a moment?" stated French President Emmanuel Macron during a television interview.

President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with TF1 and France 2, emphasized that stopping Russia is the foremost objective at this juncture.

"Our sole goal is to ensure that Russia cannot and does not win this war. For the past two years, we've been supporting Ukraine, and should the situation escalate, it will be entirely Russia's fault," Macron stated.

The French president highlighted the vulnerability of nations sharing borders with Russia, including Poland.

"Europe's credibility would be utterly destroyed if Russia were to triumph. What would that say about the powerful European Union and its member states who let this happen? Would the Poles, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Romanians, and Bulgarians remain at peace? Not to mention Moldova, which isn't a part of the European Union yet but would be threatened next," remarked the French president.

In response to inquiries about his stance on deploying ground troops to Ukraine, Macron clarified that ever since Russia’s aggression began in 2014, the West has exhausted all avenues for a peaceful resolution, alas with no success.

"Given the current grave situation, we must accept that we cannot afford to limit our responses to the aggressor," Macron elaborated.

When asked if Russia is now considered an enemy of France, Macron labelled it as an adversary, pointing out that France’s nuclear capabilities ensure its security.

However, Macron was clear that France "will not initiate any offensive or be the first to send troops to Ukraine," while stressing the existential significance of Russia's conflict with Ukraine for both Europe and France.

"We are in a time when resistance is crucial to ensure Russia's defeat," the president asserted.

This Friday, Emmanuel Macron is set to attend the Weimar Triangle summit in Berlin, where he will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Source: TF1, France 2, PAP, WP News