00:00 French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested that the deployment of Western ground troops
00:08 to Ukraine is not out of question as European allies unveiled new measures to bolster Kiev's
00:13 defence against Russia.
00:15 Macron's remarks followed a gathering of about 20 European leaders in Paris aimed at demonstrating
00:20 European solidarity with Ukraine and challenging Moscow's narrative of inevitable victory in
00:26 the ongoing conflict.
00:27 "We are confident that defeating Russia is crucial for the security and stability of
00:31 Europe," Macron stated, emphasising the need to prevent Russia from prevailing in the conflict.
00:37 Macron stressed that no option should be discounted in the ongoing dynamic.
00:41 However, Macron refrained from disclosing the specific countries considering troop deployment,
00:45 citing the importance of maintaining strategic ambiguity.
00:49 Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico also echoed his statement.
00:53 "I will limit myself to say that these preparations imply a number of NATO and EU member states
00:58 are considering that they will send their troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis," Fico
01:03 told a televised briefing following a meeting of Slovakia's Security Council.
01:08 "I cannot say for what purpose and what they should be doing there," he added, adding that
01:12 Slovakia and a member of EU and NATO will not be sending soldiers to Ukraine.
01:17 This led to speculations.
01:18 However, a White House official later clarified the United States also has no plans to send
01:23 troops to Ukraine and there are no NATO plans for such deployment either.
01:27 The Paris conference underscored Macron's efforts to position himself as a leading advocate
01:31 for Ukraine within Europe, amid concerns of potential wavering US support in the future.
01:36 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda were among the attendees, with
01:41 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also participating virtually.
01:45 Discussions at the conference centred on the contentious issue of sending troops to Ukraine,
01:49 with Duda noting a lack of agreement on the matter.
01:52 Macron also announced the establishment of a new coalition to provide Ukraine with medium- to
01:56 long-range missiles and bombs for deep strikes, signalling a broader commitment to bolster
02:01 Kiev's defence capabilities.
02:03 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast
Comments