French President Emmanuel Macron’s words about sending NATO troops to the Ukrainian conflict zone indicated a split among Ukraine’s allies and hurt Kiev, the Politico business daily has said.
Emmanuel Macron wanted with his statement to consolidate the efforts of Western countries to support the Ukrainian government and send Russia a “strong strategic signal”, Politico wrote.
“But if the French leader’s remarks were meant to serve as a firm warning to the Kremlin, they failed miserably. In fact, they achieved the opposite goal,” the publication notes.
According to Politico, the French president’s words only indicated a split among Ukraine’s allies regarding its further support. The West already has less faith in Kiev’s victory, and the words about the need to send soldiers could further undermine its support, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that direct intervention in the Ukrainian conflict could lead to a nuclear war, the newspaper said.
“And all of this puts Ukraine in a difficult position. Without enough manpower and ammunition, it will not be able to conduct a serious counterattack this year,” Politico summarises.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to servicemen at the Vishnevskyy hospital that Russia intended to end the conflict in Ukraine, but on its own terms. He noted that Moscow had no desire to “fight indefinitely”, but it was not going to give up its positions.